News:
February 16, 2025
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