The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has concurred with growing concerns that the standard of representation in Ghana’s Parliament is experiencing a decline.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, November 16, the former NDC General Secretary expressed his agreement with the perception that there has been a noticeable shift in the way individuals perceive and approach parliamentary roles.
According to him, there has been a transformation from the traditional view of parliament as a platform for serving the citizens to a more contemporary perspective where people consider it as an investment.
“It is true that the quality of representation has declined, and it is not just an opinion, there is one survey report which has cited what the speakers have been talking about,” stated Asiedu Nketia.
The National Chairman of the NDC pointed out a crucial factor contributing to this decline, emphasizing the negative impact of the increasing monetization of politics.
He added that in the past, individuals were driven to enter parliament by a genuine passion to serve the nation. However, the current scenario paints a different picture, with individuals now viewing parliamentary positions as a strategic investment opportunity.
“One of the key causes has been the over-monetisation of politics, in the past people went to parliament out of the passion to serve the nation. Now people go to parliament as a means of investment…some just want a service passport to do their business.”
Asiedu Nketia called for a concerted effort to reverse this trend, emphasizing the need for a return to the values of genuine public service that once characterized Ghana’s Parliament.
He, however, added that it will be difficult for the political parties to place criteria that emphasize educational qualifications before an aspirant is approved to contest for a parliamentary seat.