Thursday, 12th March, 2026
Hon Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah
Salaga South
Mr Speaker, I rise to read this Statement in memory of one of the female trailblazers in politics from the northern part of Ghana.
Permit me, Mr Speaker, to preface the Statement with an admonition from the almighty Allah that indeed to Allah we belong and to him we shall return. Innalilayi wa Innalilayi ra’juon! Mr Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart, yet profound gratitude to pay tribute to the late Hon Hajia Mary Salifu Boforo, former Member of Parliament for Savelugu Constituency from 1997 to 2013, who departed this life on 13th December, 2025.
Mr Speaker, the passing of Hon Hajia Boforo represents not merely the loss of a distinguished parliamentarian but the dimming of a beacon that illuminated the path for women’s leadership in northern Ghana. Mr Speaker, at a time when the corridors of power in our region were the exclusive preserve of men, Hon Hajia Boforo, alongside pioneering women such as the late Hon Hawa Yakubu of Bawku Central and Hon Alima Mahama of Nalerigu Gambaga, defied convention and broke through barriers that had stood for generations.
Mr Speaker, these trailblazers demonstrated extraordinary courage in stepping into spaces where their presence was questioned, their competence doubted, and their voices often dismissed. Mr Speaker, rising to become the First Deputy Majority Whip and Chairperson of Ghana’s Parliamentary Women’s Caucus, Hon Hajia Boforo championed the empowerment of women and children, boldly declaring that, and I quote: “The fight for equality between men and women goes beyond the case made for social justice, but rather a fundamental human right that must be achieved.”
Mr Speaker, I stand here today as a direct beneficiary of her sacrifice and fortitude. The seat I occupy in this august House was made possible because women like Hon Hajia Boforo refused to accept that leadership was a male birthright. They proved through service that competence, dedication, and vision know no gender.
Mr Speaker, as we mourn Hon Hajia Boforo’s passing, let us also celebrate her life of purpose and impact. Her name still echoes in the corridors of our Parliament, consistently associated with discipline, diligence, and compassion. I draw immense pride from hearing such tributes, for her legacy and example have profoundly shaped my own understanding of parliamentary work and conduct. Let us honour her memory by ensuring that the doors she held open remain open, and that more women from the north, and indeed from across our beloved nation, continue to ascend to positions of leadership.
Mr Speaker, she was a household name throughout the Northern Region. As a young student working in community development, Savelugu was among my project areas, and there I witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of her service. Every grinding mill I encountered bore witness to her dedication to the women of Savelugu. Every borehole carried her footprints, installed to ease the burdens of her constituents. The women were her priority, and she gave expression to this commitment through tireless action. Her connection to her constituency was both special and admirable. May Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala grant her soul Jannatul Firdaus.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Hon Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah
Takoradi
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity.
Mr Speaker, for those of us who have been in this House for some time, have had the special privilege of interacting and engaging with Hajia Boforo. For us on this Side, she had always been someone who had time for us. In fact, her usual chocolate sharing in this House was very spectacular. Hajia Boforo, we all know, was the MP for Savelugu, and I had my Constituency executive, who also hailed from Savelugu, and they used to speak so well of her.
Mr Speaker, we also know that she empowered a lot of women in her constituency. We know that a lot of the infrastructure, like boreholes, electricity connections, and the rest, were done through her effort. Mr Speaker, for the likes of Hajia Boforo to rise to the level of a First Deputy Majority Whip, I believe that it shows consistently that Ghanaian women can do so much for our country. I know that my own predecessor was the Deputy Leader in this House for some time. We have had other women who have also done so well for this Parliament, like Ms Cecilia Dapaah, Madam Frema Opare, and the rest, and I believe that her effort in this House, and her ability to stay here, showed that there is nothing beyond a woman to be able to serve her country.
Mr Speaker, one other thing about Hajia Boforo was that she was always smiling. That made it easy for those of us on the other Side to connect. We knew she had a good heart, and like we know, there is always a season for everything, and when she lost her seat, a lot of us were shocked that the NDC could not keep her seat for her to come back to the House.
With this, Mr Speaker, we say rest in peace, Hajia Boforo.
Hon Sanja Nanja
Atebubu/Amantin
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to comment on the Statement that was ably made by the Hon Member for Salaga South.
Mr Speaker, Hajia Boforo’s compassion and generosity, especially for the First Timers and Members of Parliament in general, I should say, was very legendary. This was a woman who had the welfare of First Timers at heart. When we met her in the Sixth Parliament, she really made us feel at home.
Our welfare matters were so important to her that on most of the sitting days, whether extended or not extended, she invited us almost every day to her office for lunch. She was always ready to share the little that she had with us in terms of advice or finance. This was a woman who sometimes would approach you and ask when was the last time you went to the constituency. And if you say, two or three weeks, she would ask whether it is about resources. She would ask you to come to her office and when you go, she would give you money and tell you to visit the constituency.
On Tuesday, she will come and ask you whether you were able to go. Sometimes, some of us felt very ashamed going to her office, but she would still come and pull us to go and take lunch. Before you get there, other Colleagues will be there, including even former Members who had lost their elections. On weekends, we would go to her office and you would see her coming with envelopes to give money to former MPs. This was a woman who was really a mother.
Mr Speaker, I wish Parliament could do something to immortalise Hajia Boforo. Hajia Boforo will always remain in our hearts. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah
Ho West
Mr Speaker, let me commend my Sister, Hajia, for this tribute on behalf of the good people of Savelugu and in the memory of our late Sister, Hajia Boforo.
Mr Speaker, myself and Hon Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah met her in 2009 in this House. That was almost 18 years ago. For a woman to have gone through as Member of Parliament for five good terms, I think she has broken the record. I have not heard of any woman who has broken that record. The highest we have had so far is this fifth-timer, who is Hajia Boforo. No woman in this House has broken that record. All the women either end in their third term or fourth term.
Currently, we have fourth-timers who are women. Coming from the Northern Region which we all know to be more patrilineal than matrilineal, where women are not seen in the forefront of leadership, Hajia Boforo has been a Member of Parliament for that number of years, bracing all the odds, beating all the men to have won five consecutive times, clearly shows that she is a woman of substance. Our young ladies should learn from that experience.
Mr Speaker, just as my other Colleagues mentioned, we met her in this House and she is a very generous woman. I was fortunate to have met her because my predecessor, the late Hon Agbotse, whom I took over from, was her mate when they came to this House. So, the first person he told me to meet was Hajia Boforo, his classmate. So when I came, I looked for her and because of that relationship between her and the late Hon Agbotse, I became very close to her. Just as my other Colleagues, we go to her office most often, especially in those days when we had extended Sittings. She was the one who was in charge of our welfare matters. Today, we do not see our Hon Members, ladies, taking care of our welfare as Hajia Boforo used to do.
Mr Speaker, being the Deputy Whip at that time, her generosity cut across and I heard my Colleague from the other Side mentioned it. She is the one who will take care of you, both in terms of chocolates and everything that you need. When she became the leader of the Women Caucus, she did take care of the women as well. Even when she was sharing cloth those days, we the men even go to her office and we get our share for our wives. We have lost such a nice woman. We were thinking that she will come for the sixth term, but fate has its own way.
Even though Hajia Boforo was old in age, when you look at her, she was very active and proactive. Her memory was so sharp. When you ask her questions about parliamentary proceedings and parliamentary processes, she is able to tell you what to do and what not to do. More especially, when it comes to interaction with one’s constituents, that has been her strongest strength. She said if you really want to maintain your seat and come back to this House, you need to be in touch with your constituents. She has taught almost all of us, especially those of us who came in 2009.
She has taught us that we need to be in touch with our constituents to make sure that we return to the House. We have lost a beautiful woman. We have lost a gem. We have lost one of the astute Members of Parliament. I want to add my voice to what my Colleague Hon Sanja Nanja said that we need to immortalise her, even if it is just one block that we can name after her — that this is the late Hon Hajia’s Boforo’s block in this House, that will go a long way to get our young ladies to do what Hajia Boforo had done. With these few words, Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Hon Richard Acheampong
Bia East
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity. Let me also thank Hon Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah for the tribute she just read.
Mr Speaker, I join Colleagues to eulogise Hon Boforo. I entered this House in 2013. At that time, Members had no office space, so we used to hang around the Foyer. We picked our documents in the mails room and stood at the Foyer to read them. So, our car boots became our library and everything. Those days, her office used to be on the first floor on the new block. Every lunchtime, we used to go there and she would serve us. It got to a point; I became a registered member in her office. Even if I do not go for lunch, she would send somebody to come and call me to come and eat. Whether I liked it or not, I had to take whatever was available then.
Mr Speaker, if you enter my living room, I have a very beautiful picture with Hajia Boforo. If you do not know my wife, you may suspect she is my wife. [Laughter] It is so beautiful. My wife initially was fighting with me because how can we—No, the way the picture is so beautiful and how the cameraman took the picture— So beautiful, and I am still keeping it in my living room.
Mr Speaker, something happened on the Floor here. At the time, Hon Inusah Fuseini was the Minister for Roads and Highways. I filed a Question about Adabokrom – Nkwanta Road. The technical people provided wrong answers for the minister to come and answer. So, I was so angry. At the time, we were in Government. I went after the minister. I was a young MP then and the energy was so high like what Jerry is doing now. We have gone past that stage. I went after the minister. After that, she accosted me and said “Hon Member, what did you do? Have you forgotten you are in Government? Why did you embarrass the Minister?” I gave her all the reasons for which I did what I did. She said “Do not worry. Let us go to my office”.
We called Dr Opuni around 12:00 midnight to 1:00 a.m. Mr Ato Forson was at the time, the Deputy Minister for Finance. He asked me what happened in Parliament and I gave them the rundown. The next day, the contractor was on site. So, they asked me what I wanted. I told them to give me a six-unit classroom block and fix Adabokrom Nkwanta road. As I speak, the school is there and children are benefiting from it. The road was awarded through the intervention of Hajia Boforo. So, from there, she told me, “Hon Member, if you want certain things to be done for you, do not be aggressive. Just come to me and we will deal with it.” This is Hajia.
So, Mr Speaker, let me join Colleagues and pray that Allah should receive her soul. May Allah bless her.
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