The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, Murtala Mohammed, has asserted that Parliament becomes weak whenever the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is in power.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Lily Mohammed, the legislator, who also identifies as a political scientist, cited historical examples to back his claim.
“There is ample evidence that in the time the NPP is in power, Parliament is weak,” Murtala Mohammed stated. “I would refer your listening public to go and read the books of Professor Nansen, Professor Suman Johnson, and Professor Jampu. Their writings, along with publications from the IEA and NCDD, describe the Parliament between 2000 to 2008 under President Kufuor as the weakest ever in the history of this country.”
According to him, this pattern has persisted, with scholars concluding that both Parliament and the sovereign government have become increasingly weak. He attributed this to efforts by the executive to undermine the legislative arm of government.
“In fact, the IEA once described Parliament as one of the strongest during the hung Parliament because of the numbers. But there is no denying the fact that when the NPP is in power, Parliament is weak because the executive will do everything possible to undermine it,” he emphasized.
Murtala Mohammed further insisted that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), despite its numbers in Parliament, remains committed to upholding the institution’s integrity.
“One thing I can assure the people of this country, even with our overwhelming numbers we are mindful of the sanctity and integrity of Parliament. President Mahama has admonished us not to railroad anything in Parliament. Tell me, what can we bring to Parliament that will not be passed? Everything. But the NPP, knowing they lack the numbers, chooses to walk out instead of engaging constructively.”
