Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

The ninth parliament of the fourth republic of Ghana, has once again failed to attain the 30 percent female representation, a target many were hoping to see.

But the Member of Parliament for Dome/Kwabenya, Faustina Elikplim Akurugu said there is the need for political parties to strive to meet this target.

The call for ensuring more women to have access to the legislature has been an agenda many groups have tried to actualize; and the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament have not relented in pushing for the thirty percent female representation in the various national parliaments.

Out of the two hundred and seventy-five (275) constituencies declared by Ghana’s Electoral Commission for the ninth parliament, with one outstanding constituency yet to be declared, only forty (40) are females representing 14.55 percent.

And the MP said the situation is worrying, saying, “Women are in the majority, if you look at the Ghanaian population, our representation in parliament should be more”

She noted that the perception about women in politics is something that women are still struggling with even with the passage of the Affirmative Action Act, 2024.

“I think we should be able to bridge the gap, the current representation is worrying, and we need deliberate efforts to get a lot of representation of women”, she emphasised.

As to whether the political parties in Ghana can play a key role in this direction, she noted that it depends on the individuals and the kind of support from their spouses, so even if the parties give the push, family support is also important.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin said he has not defied the directive given by the leadership of the New Patriotic Party, NPP to boycott all Media General platforms.

He said the decision to call into TV3’s KeyPoints program on Saturday, February 22, 2025, was not to speak on behalf of or for the NPP.

According to him what happened was that, the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, alleged that he was using 50 military personnel as convoy.

This, he noted was a direct attack on him (Afenyo-Markin) and not the party, NPP. Thus, it necessitated his intervention to challenge Dafeamekpor and to set the records straight, which he did.

Hon Dafeamekpor, following Afenyo-Markin’s intervention, withdrew his statement and apologized for same.

Under this circumstance, I couldn’t have been accused of defying the directive of the party’s leadership. I couldn’t have allowed such lies and misinformation to be peddled by Dafeamekpor to go unchallenged, he stated.

He thus urged the general public to disregard any news item or information that goes contrary to the explanation given.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said Ernest Kumi, the Member of Parliament for Akwatia has not been treated fairly, adding thatbthe Minority will come out fully with their position after they receive briefing from the lawyers.

The Koforidua High Court on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 sited the MP for contempt of court for availing himself to be sworn in as MP despite an injunction placed on him.

Afenyo-Markin addressing members of the press in Parliament noted that the Minority is yet to procure the ruling of the High Court and further briefing as a caucus.

“We will come out with our decision and all necessary steps will be taken to ensure our colleague is law abiding and that the right thing is done. We are dissatisfied with the approach and we think that he has been treated unfairly. We will come out fully with our position when we have full briefing from the lawyers”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Amenfi West lawmaker  Eric Afful has raised concerns about the growing disorder in parliament anytime the Rt. Hon Speaker, Alban Bagbin is not presiding over affairs in the House.

According to him whenever the two deputy Speakers, Bernard Ahiafor, and Andrew Amoako Asiamah are in the chair the House seems to lack decorum, particularly the 2nd deputy Speaker.

“The Minority becomes more hostile; it is not the best and should not be entertained, hence my call for the House to be sitting in the afternoon from two o’clock. By then the Speaker himself would have been around; and Members of Parliament can have time to be on the floor. Professionals among us like doctors and lawyers can also go about their duties in the morning and comeback to the chamber for business. Again traffic will not be an issue for us to have the numbers to transact business” he stated in an interview.

Again, one benefit we will have is that we avoid seeing students travel from very long distances like Northern Ghana to the House to observe proceedings; rather they can observe behind television sets from their schools.

Additionally, our constituents can have the opportunity of watching live proceedings by the afternoon as those who are farmers as well as others who manage shops can go about their duties in the morning but make time to observe proceedings from two o’clock to eight o’clock.

Mr Afful further revealed that when he raised the matter on the floor of the House, staffs of Parliament have issues with the time he was proposing on the floor of the House on Friday, February 14, 2025, and approached him on it, indicating that their closing time will be late when the new proposal is adopted.

He however, added that the Parliamentary staff need to assist them on this because any new policy one will encounter the merit and demerit, but one needs to choose the best option that can help solve the problem.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The New Patriotic Party Minority in Parliament continue to raise the issue of quorum and keep delaying government business, a situation many never saw coming considering the huge number of the Majority.

As first-time lawmakers form a huge chunk of the numbers in the ninth Parliament of Ghana and most of them are yet to settle down with issues of accommodation and settle down into their offices.

But a first-time Member of Parliament representing South Tongu, Kwame Maxwell Lukutor believes the Minority is only playing to the gallery by raising issue of quorum knowing what the problem really is.

According to him, a large number of the MPs in the ninth parliament are first-timers and are yet to fully settle in as many are currently logging in hotels as they struggle with accommodation issues.

“Again, we have just gone through elections; most of our resources have been used in campaigning, other MPs who have worn were formally working somewhere and will have to go and hand over.”

“So the first month has been a bit herculean for us, we are not lackadaisical in doing our work; any time the Minority raised issues of quorum you look at the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and behind him you see only seven (7) of his members out of the eighty-seven (87) members”

According to him, the Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga at a point told him, if they are not going to make use of their numbers, it will be reduced further in the next elections. “It is a general situation with first- time MPs, not only the Majority. “We are trying to find our feet, and so many things are happening at the same time.”

In addition we know what we signed up for and we are ready to do that and we are not reneging on our responsibilities. Committees are yet been formed, we do not have committee meetings, government is still being formed, he noted.

He said it is also not true that the first-time MPs are out there trying to lobby for positions, stating that “we have 186 MPs, and only 40 will come from the House, and we have senior lawmakers we came to meet in the House, “so it cannot be the case that we are only out there lobbying”.

He also raised the issue of some of the MPs who lost their seats and are yet to completely pack out of their offices so that others can have them.

The South Tongu lawmaker pointed out that, sometimes they are told meetings will start at eight (8:00am) but it will rather take place eleven (11:00am) by then you have not taken your breakfast and there is no proper place for food in Parliament.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

 Amenfi West lawmaker in Ghana’s Parliament  Eric Afful is pushing for the Nation  to start sitting in the afternoon to make time for lawmakers to attend to business of the House in their numbers as issues of quorum most of the time are raised when serious business of the House is in motion.

According to him his colleagues in the Minority usually come under order 54 and article 102 of the 1992 Ghanaians Republic constitution when the number in the House seems small.

“Let us shift our sitting time from 10:00am in the morning to 2:00 pm; it will help MPs to be in their seats so that the morning can be used for administrative duties and help ministers of state to prepare adequately to come and answer parliamentary questions and the Speakers to have other administrative works to do”.

The Amenfi West MP who has been a member of the Business Committee for almost eight years indicated that he has visited other World Parliaments and gave an example of Zambian Parliament where sitting starts in the afternoon, stating that “if we can do this, it will go a long way to help us”.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga on his part indicated that he has always advocated for afternoon sitting having gone round the West Africa sub-regional Parliaments and witnessed sitting being conducted in the afternoon.

This, he said allows the professionals who are lawmakers including doctors, lawyers and businessmen and women to go and practice when they get elected so that their services are not missed; and added that for now nothing can be done but it is for the Speaker of Parliament to decide.

Kwaku Saky-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament (MP) for Klottey Korle believes President John Dramani Mahama’s invitation and subsequent appointment of an Envoy to The Alliance of Sahel States is to send a strong message to the entire ECOWAS block that there is still room to get back to the discussion table to see how to mend bridges among ourselves.

She said Ghana and Burkina Faso, the two neighbours have had long standing close ties especially during the period of Jerry Rawlings and Thomas Sankara, so trying to cement that relationship is important to dealing with the insecurity situation at the northern parts of Ghana and Burkina Faso.

The Klottey Korle MP emphasized that the two countries are not just neighbours but also share family ties as hence any disturbance in any of the countries forces people to find refuge in the other, as peaceful co-existence is thus very crucial and beneficial to both countries.

President Mahama’s move, she said it even more relevant as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has itself opened its doors for the three countries to return to the bloc despite the formation of The Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

According to her to extricate oneself from an economic community such as ECOWAS or any other is not as simple as having formed a new position of saying you don’t belong; as there are a lot of things that affect the nationals of the various nation states that are part of the community that have far reaching implications beyond the political including economic, and socio-cultural implications.

“I believe that what we saw in terms of the invitations of the head of State of Burkina Faso as well as the appointment of Rt. Colonel Gbevlo Lartey as an envoy to those countries is a strong message that Ghana understands that the struggle towards self-determination, the struggle towards economic empowerment is not as linear as we like to say it is; and in so doing it is an acknowledgement that there are other ways by which one can actually reach out to our brothers and sisters in other countries to re-mend broken bridges”, she stated.

Dr Zanetor said the invitation is also probably to say that “we are not casting you away; you are still part of us and there is room to have conversation on how we come together” since the ultimate goal of having a bloc is the empowerment of our people and not personal issues either as a head of state or whatever, but for the greater good of the various nations particularly the vulnerable. More so, it is important in making sure that we are not making our countries more vulnerable, giving the fact that incidents of terrorist armed groups and violent extremism is prevalence and knocking at our doors.

“We cannot sit here as a country holding our credentials of democratic rule for as long as we have, and feel that we can live in isolation. We have borders that are porous among other things; so we need to have ways in which we can bridge the gap to decrease our risk but of course make sure that we’re trying to create some greater cohesion in the sub-region; so I believe it was positive”, she emphasized.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings said while a holistic improvement of the constituency remains her focus, she will ensure issues around the youth, women, and persons with disability are given priority in the constituency.

According to her she will ensure agencies within her constituency do not ignore the indigenes, when it comes to opportunities in the area of capacity building and employment.

Dr. Zanetor, speaking in an interview with Ghanamps.com added that the provision of sporting facilities is something she is taking greater interest in,  as well as ensuring that sporting facilities within the tertiary institutions are in good conditions so that young people can also take greater interest in sports.

The MP, a health practitioner herself has over the years been actively involved in organizing and making resources available for regular health screening programmes for her constituents; and has promised to maintain that gesture while ensuring that health facilities are enhanced in the area.

On the educational front, she indicated that she would continue to provide scholarships to needy students from the basic level to the tertiary level and make sure issues having to do with enhancing education are taken care of.

With regards to recent fire outbreaks in market centres, she noted that the development is quite devastating particularly on the lives and livelihoods of the affected traders; hence there is the need for collaboration with the Ghana fire and the Municipality to ensure that fire hydrants are working properly and access to all these markets are improved to enhance smooth response in times of emergencies.

She pledged to project issues of importance about the constituency on the floor of the House, including flooding which relates to the proper execution of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID).

The project, she noted, has some issues around it because of the way some of the funds that were supposed to go to GARID were re-aligned to COVID; thus a lot of the works did not start, and the rains are not too far from now, and added that it is her hope that once we have Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives in place, especially those who are up stream to the constituency, there would be fruitful discussions on the way forward including the management of solid wastes.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com