Hon. Ursula Owusu Ekufu, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West and Minister of Communications and Digitalization, expressed her dissatisfaction with 18 NPP MPs leaving parliament.
The move she lamented will be dire for the NPP in the next parliament.
She especially cited the majority leader, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, and some important MPs, claiming that those who have opted to retire are competent in guiding the activities of the house.
She expressed concern over the parallel with the recent NDC primaries, where 18 MPs were also replaced, emphasising the worrisome trend of experienced legislators exiting Parliament.
According to her, even though parliament needs fresh faces to blend with those who have been there for years, the experienced ones ought to be protected from both sides.
Expressing her concern about the exit of the majority leader, she asserted that parliamentary proceedings would be affected because the man is experienced and one of the pillars of parliament.
“You need a blend of the two. We cannot all say we have served our terms and are not returning. From our side, you will discover that the oldest of our MPs are those who have served for three and four terms. From the list of MPs who are not returning, it will mean that all our MPs who served for five terms are no longer returning, or they will be left with a few. This is not good for the NPP.
“The one we will miss the most is the majority leader. He understands legislation and does a lot of scrutiny on all the legislation. We will miss him. In almost every election, key MPs lose, and in the last election, several of the committee chairs lost, so we have new people chairing these committees. This is not healthy. I will therefore encourage voters to consider the few experienced ones left and vote for them to ensure that the work in the house is done diligently.”
She also expressed worry over the number of female lawmakers present in the House.
She pleaded with Ghanaians to largely consider women who are capable and will contribute to the quality of work and debate in the house.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
