First deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, has urged the government to take proactive steps to retain experienced Members of Parliament.
According to him, there is a need for government to recognize their contributions and offering them roles that utilize their skills and knowledge.
This comes after 18 incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament decided not to seek re-election in the upcoming parliamentary primaries.
He lamented that, the departure of the Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, a veteran politician trained by the legendary J.H Mensah, is a potential blow to Parliament’s capacity adding that his departure can pose a serious challenge in Ghana’s parliament.
“The exit of Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who was trained by J.H Mensah, are you saying it is not going to have a negative impact on parliament, it will. As for representation, you will get somebody to represent you but as for replacement, you cannot replace the institutional memory and capacity of the exiting MP and that is how parliament is going to be negatively affected. We take you, invest in you and throw you out”, he added.
He further argued that the government’s under-utilization of experienced MPs contributes to their decision to leave.
Citing examples like Joe Ghartey and Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, Ahmed Ibrahim highlighted their wasted potential and lack of meaningful roles within the government.
