Member of Parliament for Ofoase/Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has called on Parliament to shift away from partisan theatrics and refocus its work on bread-and-butter issues affecting ordinary Ghanaians as the House begins the second session of the Ninth Parliament.
In a statement issued as Parliament resumed sitting on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, the former Information Minister said the legislature risks becoming “irrelevant” if it continues to prioritise political drama over substantive oversight and policy scrutiny.
“Too often, Parliament reduces itself to a chamber of theatre,” he said, arguing that debates are increasingly framed for political optics rather than solutions to unemployment, rising living costs, struggling businesses and delayed payments to farmers.
Oppong Nkrumah said citizens are more concerned about jobs, food prices, manufacturing challenges and economic stability than partisan exchanges on the floor of the House.
“The People’s Business is what keeps our constituents and citizens awake at night. And that ought to be our business too,” he stated.
The lawmaker outlined five key areas he intends to focus on this session, beginning with a parliamentary inquiry into the high failure rates recorded in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
He noted that more than half of candidates reportedly failed core mathematics, describing the outcome as a national crisis that should not be reduced to political blame-shifting. Together with MP Patrick Boamah, he has filed a motion seeking a formal parliamentary probe to examine the causes and recommend reforms.
“The future of our young people cannot be ignored simply because it is no longer newsworthy,” he said.
He also called for an investigation into reported gold trading losses recorded in 2025, insisting that government must fully account for public financial setbacks.
“Ghana cannot normalise large public financial losses without properly explaining them,” he said, adding that transparency is necessary to restore public trust and fiscal discipline.
On the economy, the MP raised concerns about the rising cost of manufacturing, citing higher energy tariffs, logistics bottlenecks, financing constraints and regulatory pressures. He said electricity bills have risen by about 26% over the past year, undermining industrialisation efforts and making local production less competitive.
Until those challenges are addressed, he warned, Ghana risks deeper dependence on imports and fewer job opportunities.
Oppong Nkrumah further announced that he would push for the passage of his private member’s amendment to the Public Financial Management framework, dubbed the “No Plan, No Cash” bill. The proposal seeks to bar the Treasury from funding projects not captured in the National Development Plan, a move he believes would curb wasteful spending and save billions of cedis.
He also criticised the increasing use of certificates of urgency to fast-track government bills through Parliament, saying the practice limits scrutiny and reduces opportunities for civil society and stakeholder input.
According to him, bills are sometimes introduced and passed within hours, weakening oversight and the quality of legislation.
The MP additionally urged the executive to promptly submit policy and programme documents to Parliament to enable effective supervision, noting that only one out of 16 requested documents has so far been laid before the House.
He said Parliament must serve as a forum for serious national problem-solving rather than partisan confrontation.
“Young Ghanaians are watching us closely. They care about jobs, food prices, security and opportunity,” he said. “We were not elected to act in a series for Netflix. We were elected to do the people’s business.”
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