The current 8th Parliament of the4th Republic is fortunate to have a distinguished former leader of the House as its presiding Speaker. He is Rt Hon Alban Sumani Bagbin.
Every watcher of Parliamentary Democracy can testify to the intelligence, knowledge, experience, in-depth and sterling performance, and leadership he exhibited when he was the Member of Parliament of the good people of Kaleo- Nadowli, in the Upper West Region.
He was apt in his work both within and outside the corners of the House. I have correlated him to the venerable Joseph Henry Mensah affectionately called JH. The late member of Parliament for Sunyani East.
He also led both as Minority Leader and later Majority Leader when his party, the New Patriotic Pary won the 2000 general elections.
Ironically, some of the current Members of the House are declining to emulate these revered politicians and former Members of the House.
It is nauseating, bizarre, and gibberish to observe, read, listen to, and watch the actions and inactions of some members of the House in the public spectacle.
Most of them are losing the honor, respect, and candor in the eyes of many Ghanaians who have expended their time and energy to elect them to the House. Ghanaians are paying for their salaries, wages, accommodation, medicals, travel, and other miscellaneous incentives.
Members of Parliament are the representatives of the population. They are to do the following. These are law-making or legislation, debate, representation, and carrying oversight responsibility for the benefit of the people.
I can confidently state that most of the above-mentioned functions or roles are performed by only a few members of the House.
Sadly, some ‘Honorable ‘ members are becoming huge liabilities to their constituents and the nation.
They hardly represent their constituents. They are in Parliament and use the August House as a security to cover up some of their nefarious and sordid activities.
A Parliament of 275 Members on most occasions, finds it difficult to get an accountable quorum to undertake business for the good people of the country.
Outside the purview of the House, some members can best be described as noise makers or serial callers.
Their language is uncivil and uncouth. They are painfully and naively tarnishing the image of the House or Parliament.
A Parliament of Alban Bagbin, JH Mensah, Papa Owusu Ankomah, JH Owusu Achempong, Doe Adjaho, ET Mensah, Collins Dauda, Gladys Asmah, Ambrose Dery, Prof Mike Oquaye and other solid and distinguished heroes of our parliamentary democracy.
Unfortunately, this 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic has become a House where the contest of ideas and thoughts is dustbined.. It is now an illegal fighting circus. Where members of the House are ‘now-fighters'( illegal).
Some members have become poisoned-laced communicators. They speak without any decency, respect, and professionalism.
RT Hon Speaker, the time is rife to expose some of these members who have made it their trademark to demean the name of the House.
I know Ghanaians are quietly observing those Members and when the time comes, democratic actions will be taken against them.
That is they may be shown the exit come the 2024 general elections.
Parliament is an honorable House and Ghanaians expect nothing but decency, honor, respect, maturity, and humility from them.
The legacies left by the current Speaker and his allies or colleagues mentioned in the piece must not be contaminated by some current Members of the 8th Parliament.
Ghanaians are watching, observing, and marking.
Ahmed
The Servant