Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has emphasized the need for accountability and performance evaluation of Members of Parliament (MPs), stating that the duration of their stay should not be a justification for continued representation.
His remarks follow concerns raised about experienced Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who opted not to seek reelection in 2025. Professor Oquaye suggested adopting a cost-benefit analysis approach, common in advanced democracies, to assess the performance of MPs and take appropriate action.
“The NPP should continue to have a cost-benefit analysis of all MPs… of course, who are not performing, they know and, for that matter, take action on them; the labour and the consecutive parties do that. When an assessment is made, they may want to drop you,” he stated.
Approximately 20 NPP lawmakers did not submit forms for the 2024 elections, raising concerns among political analysts about the potential impact on Ghana’s democracy. Professor Oquaye, however, asserted that the absence of some experienced hands does not justify retaining nonperforming members.
In an interview with Beatrice Claire Adu of 3News, Professor Oquaye acknowledged the emotional aspect of departing from Parliament after years of service. Still, he emphasized that longevity alone should not warrant continuous representation for MPs whose performance is subpar.
“It can be pitiful when after years, the person has to leave Parliament. Of course, it doesn’t mean, therefore, no matter how nonperforming a Member of Parliament is, merely [because] he or she has been there for long, then the person must continue to be there…this should be part of the think-tanking of people who are interested in civil society affairs,” he suggested.
The former Speaker’s perspective underscores the importance of evaluating MPs based on their performance rather than solely considering their years of service, contributing to a discourse on accountability within the Ghanaian parliamentary system.