Members of Parliament
Members of Parliament yesterday (Tuesday) expressed their anger and frustrations at a research recently conducted by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana over the performance of MPs.
According to the MPs, the research is not scientifically inclusive of all official and non-official duties of MPs.
They have thus described the research as ‘bogus’ research not based on scientific baseline requirements, parameters and modalities.
The First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu who raised the matter on the floor of the House on Tuesday on how worrying such researches or surveys have been pointed out that parameters for measuring the performance of an MP were not exhaustively captured under the report.
According to the First Deputy Speaker, MPs work is not only constituency based but basically in parliament house and on committees of parliament.
“Mr. Speaker last year when I was presiding, a similar report came out and was discussed on the floor. I told the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to liaise with the political research institutions and find out what parameters could MPs’ performance be evaluated,” he said.
He told parliament that constitutionally, MPs are required to represent their constituents in parliament, make law and lobby for development in their constituency and not merely being frequently present in their constituencies.
The minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu said that the heading of the research which says that 180 non-performing MPs who are mostly first timers will be voted out in the 2020 general elections stressing that the supposed findings will definitely influence parliamentary primaries of the two major political parties in the country and eventually the attrition rate in parliament which has been a worrying situation for Ghana’s democracy.
He therefore proposed that a special committee be set up by the speaker to be chaired by the First Deputy Speaker to engage the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana to find out the basis for the research, how they arrived at the conclusion that they have gotten, stressing that most Ghanaians do not know the real constitutional duties of an MP.
The NDC MPs for Aowin and Yilo Krobo, Mathias Ntow and Kofi Amoatey respectively took a serious swipe at the research findings saying that the findings are ‘bogus’ and that the researchers cannot use the work of an MP in his or her constituency to judge him.
The research by the University of Ghana rated the NDC MP for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda; NPP MP for Effutu, Alex Afenyo-Markin; NPP MP for Abetifi, Bryan Acheampon; NPP MP for Atiwa East, Abena Osei-Asare; Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah; NDC MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; NDC MP for Adaklu, Governs Kwame Agbodza; NPP MP for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko; NDC MP for North Dayi, Joycelyn Tetteh and NDC MP for Ketu South, Fiifi Kwetey as the 10 best performing MPs .
By Thomas Fosu Jnr