The Minority in Parliament has made a passionate appeal to legislators to rise and protect the independence of the Judiciary, as well as Ghana’s democratic foundations, which they say are currently under threat.
According to the caucus, Parliament must reclaim its oversight authority and serve as a firewall between democratic survival and authoritarian drift.
Delivering a welcome address at the resumption of the second meeting of the first session of the 9th Parliament on Tuesday, May 27, Deputy Minority Leader Hon. Patricia Appiagyei emphasized that Parliament must not be a mere footnote in the story of Ghana’s democratic decline.
“We must rise, speak, act—and where necessary, resist. The President and his government must assume responsibility. The days of deflection are over. The season for accountability is here,” she stated.
She reiterated that the legitimacy of the House is tied to the confidence of the people and warned that failing to act while the Judiciary is under siege would represent a blatant failure of legislative duty.
The Deputy Minority Leader decried what she described as a “calculated weaponization of constitutional mechanisms” by the Presidency, citing the suspension of the Chief Justice and alleged efforts to stack the Supreme Court with loyalists.
“When lawyers known to represent both the President and the Speaker are spearheading a petition to remove the Chief Justice, it becomes exceedingly difficult to disassociate the move from political interference,” she pointed out.
She cautioned Parliament not to remain idle.
“This is not constitutional governance—it is control being consolidated. If this House fails to interrogate this moment, we too risk becoming complicit in the slow suffocation of judicial independence in Ghana.”
Turning to foreign affairs, the Deputy Minority Leader condemned the recent closure of Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., which Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa attributed to alleged internal corruption.
She argued that shutting down one of Ghana’s most important diplomatic missions due to the misconduct of a single staffer is not only excessive but also diplomatically amateurish.
She called for the Foreign Minister to appear before Parliament immediately and demanded full transparency over the decision-making process and its implications.
“Accountability in Foreign Service is not a slogan—it is a national imperative,” she stressed.
On domestic challenges, Hon. Appiagyei described Ghana as a country in crisis, citing stalled infrastructure projects, unpaid statutory funds, and “a power vacuum at the top” after President Mahama allegedly failed to hand over executive authority during an overseas trip.
“Security across the country has deteriorated. Ghanaians sleep with one eye open, while their government appears blind to their fears,” she lamented.
She criticized the Mahama administration’s handling of the economy and the power crisis, bluntly declaring: “Dumsor is back—and it has returned with a viciousness that reminds Ghanaians of our darkest power crises and teachers are threatening to carry weapons to school to protect themselves from unprovoked attacks.”
The Deputy Minority Leader also raised concerns over alleged corruption and abuse of power within the current administration. She questioned the legality of the President’s decision to compel appointees to donate their salaries to the Mahama Cares Initiative instead of referring breaches to CHRAJ.
“This is not charity—it is a blatant breach of the Constitution,” she asserted, adding that the President cannot unilaterally substitute lawful sanctions with “pet projects.”
Regarding presidential travel, she raised alarm over the continued use of private jets allegedly owned by the President’s brother. She stressed that if the flights are paid for by Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, the public deserves to know what he receives in return.
Hon. Appiagyei reminded Parliament and Ghanaians of the President’s unfulfilled promises, including repealing the COVID-19 levy and tackling illegal mining.
“We await action. Ghana cannot afford leadership that governs through deflection and denial,” she stressed.
She also condemned the delayed declaration of election results in Ablekuma North, urging the Electoral Commission to “uphold democracy without further delay.”
Issuing a direct challenge to both sides of the House, she said:
“Parliament must no longer serve merely as a conveyor belt for Executive business. We must speak with one voice and demand that the rule of law—not rule by discretion—governs this Republic.”
She reminded MPs that their legitimacy hinges on public trust and warned: “If we fail to act when the Judiciary is under siege, when lives are lost to floods, when teachers are forced to arm themselves… then the state risks becoming irrelevant to the very people we serve.”
Welcoming colleagues back from recess, she reaffirmed the Minority’s resolve not to cower before the force of the Majority, but to serve as a constitutional firewall and not allow the perversion of Ghana’s democracy to go unchallenged.
