A governance expert, Dr Eric Oduro Osae, is calling for an amendment of Ghana’s constitution to clearly define the functions of Members of parliament.
Following the loss of some 40 incumbent Members of Parliament in the just-ended New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries, many, including the majority leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu have raised concerns on its impact on parliamentary functions and governance as a whole.
While some Ghanaians are of the view that those MPs lost because they were not performing well at their constituencies, others blamed it on the huge parliamentary duties and other official assignments.
Dr Oduro Osae, who also doubles as the technical advisor to the Ministry of Local Government also shares this view.
Speaking in an interview on Accra based local radio station Neat FM; he explained that the informal responsibilities of an MP which the constituents know is that
“They are committed to their constituents and parliament. Unfortunately, the function at the parliament is what is enshrined in the constitution”, he said.
Dr Oduro added that “some MPs are doing well in parliament and because of that, they are unable to continually visit their constituencies and that is what has affected them. So Ghana as a country we are losing but some of the constituencies have benefitted.”
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“Let us make it clear that the functions of an MP in law are not only law-making but including informal ones to the constituencies. Let’s formalize the informal functions of MPs by putting it into law.”
According to Dr Oduro Osae, the wide disconnection between these functions of MPs needs to be reconciled to avert any consequences on the quality of parliamentary debate.
“Apart from that it can also affect the law that parliament passes because the people who elect these parliamentarians do so for their representation in parliament but do not really understand the critical work of an MP in passing laws”, he added.
Under Article 93(2) of the Constitution, the legislative power of Ghana is vested in Parliament and is exercised in accordance with the Constitution. The legislative function consists of passing Bills and scrutinizing statutory instruments and deciding whether to annul them or allow them to take effect by the effluxion of time.
Aside from law-making which is considered to be the most important function of Parliament, the MP is the communication link between his constituents and Government.
Dr Eric Oduro Osae believes there should also be an amendment of the provision in the constitution which allows the president to appoint the majority of his ministers from parliament as ministers of state.
He said that burdens them, making either one or two of the functions suffer. “So that if the president has the opportunity he should appoint people outside parliament so that a few will be from parliament.”
Source: Victoria Enyonam Adonu / ATL FM NEWS
