Political analyst Samuel Boateng has described the proposal to increase Ghana’s parliamentary seats from 275 to 300 and subsequently cap the number as a needless and wasteful exercise.
He noted that Members of Parliament (MPs) have not delivered any substantial or valuable results for the nation to warrant an expansion of the House.
His comments follow an announcement by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, that the government has accepted a proposal to place a constitutional cap on the size of Parliament, ensuring the total number of MPs does not exceed 300.
The proposal forms part of the government’s White Paper on the recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee, which seeks to implement reforms aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, improving governance, and creating a more inclusive political system.
However, speaking in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr. Boateng insisted that the move is an unnecessary venture that ought to be rejected.
He argued that although MPs are elected to represent the interests of Ghanaians, they frequently prioritize selfish, greedy, and parochial agendas over the public good.
He added that despite being expected to champion nationalistic ideals, lawmakers rarely engage in activities that foster true patriotism.
According to him, Ghana’s current population does not justify having 300 MPs.
“Why increase the parliamentary seats to 300? What is the essence? What is the value they bring to us? I don’t understand why they want to do this. The number is excessive. We started with 200, increased to 230 and 275, and now they want to increase it to 300. We should ask if the MPs represent Ghanaians or their political parties. These MPs are supposed to go to their constituents and seek their views and opinions over issues before voting on them.
But they don’t do that. No single MP represents the people. They are selfish, greedy, and only interested in the things that benefit them alone. We have not seen any tangible benefits from our MPs. Reducing the 275 to 200 would even be much better or far superior to the current proposed increase to 300.”
Mr. Boateng further criticized the recommendation to cap the executive at 60 ministers, describing the figure as overly burdensome on the public purse.
“The 60 ministers proposed is excessive. If we are serious about developing the country, we don’t need 60 ministers. It is expensive to have 60 ministers. We need no more than 30 ministers, including the regional ministers. It is too expensive to appoint 60 ministers.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
