Former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak, has expressed concern over what he describes as a steady decline in the quality of Ghana’s Parliament.
According to him, many individuals now enter Parliament not out of a commitment to lawmaking or national development, but with the primary aim of positioning themselves for ministerial appointments once their party assumes power.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Joshua Kodjo Mensah on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Mr Mubarak attributed part of the problem to the high attrition rate within Parliament, which he said undermines institutional memory and weakens parliamentary performance.
“Standards have fallen over the years in every Parliament. One reason is the high attrition rate. The quality of the sterling performance of MPs on the floor reduces. MPs come in, and for many of them, it takes time to find their feet. By the time they do, they’re already out, or someone is harassing them in their constituency,” he said.
He added that this pressure often diverts MPs from their legislative duties, leading them to focus more on retaining their seats than on delivering for the country.
READ: NSS Scandal: Mustapha Ussif Breaks Silence, Denies GH₵548m Fraud Claims
“We have one or two bright stars in the Ninth Parliament, but I still think it falls way short of the quality we saw in the ’90s, even in the 2000s, or in the Seventh Parliament,” he noted.
Despite his overall assessment, Mr Mubarak acknowledged that there are emerging voices worth commending in the current Parliament. He cited Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor and Mahama Ayariga from the Minority as strong performers, as well as Ahmed Shaib, a new MP from the Majority side.
“So you see that from every Parliament, the quality reduces. But I’m impressed by some of the leadership in the House. When you have people like Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor on the front bench, you can expect a lot of firepower. If you’ve got people like Ayariga, and on the other side Ahmed, he’s showing signs of catching on very well,” he said.
READ: Education Ministry to set up task force on sanitary pad disposal in schools
Mr Mubarak, however, maintained that the broader trend remains troubling, describing the Ninth Parliament as falling short of the calibre of MPs seen in earlier sessions.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
