POLITICS

Parliament losing its integrity as absent MPs are signed for by colleagues –Muntaka

Minority Chief Whip and MP for Asawasi Constituency, Mohammed Muntaka says MPs are destroying Parliament by shirking their responsibility.

Speaking at a forum in Parliament, he said that out of 275 MPs, only about 100 of them actually show up to work while others who are usually absent get others to sign their name for them.

According to Mr Muntaka, the house is losing its integrity as absentee MPs usually spend their time outside the house doing private business.

“Even the processes that we have in the house chaired by the second division speaker, where if you have a business you have to report it to the house. The speaker set a committee so you go to defend it.”

“They look at the business and the work that you do. If they are convinced that it is not going to be a conflict they give you a certificate and the speaker signs it. Many MPs don’t do it and they continue with their business,” he lamented.

He explained that these actions are mostly as a result of the election processes where hardworking lawmakers are voted out and those who shirk their responsibilities are left at post.

“Because of the way we get elected, people are not motivated to stay and learn and unfortunately those who turn to stay and learn are being discouraged.”

“How do you go to one primaries (referencing NPP Primaries) and lose 12 chairpersons of committees, people who dedicate time to stay in the house to help run government business.”

His comment follows concerns raised by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu over the appearance of the names of some absentee Members of Parliament in the House’s attendance book.

It was discovered on Thursday, July 2, that some MPs who were not in the House had their names in the votes and proceedings a practice he was not happy about.

He called for an investigation into the matter saying “the real issue here is who has been marking those absent present.”

Mr Muntaka said it was unfortunate that some of his colleagues are not willing to go through the painful process learning of lawmaking, sitting for committees and doing research on said committees.

The Minority Chief Whip said these actions have not only turned the house “upside-down” but destroying it alongside its integrity built over the years.

Speaking on Top Story on Joy FM he said that because they are supposed to check each other, it is tedious to get his colleagues to do the right thing.

The MP advocated for a system in the chamber that allows people to log in and log out of the house.

This, he said, will prevent members from signing for other members when they are not around.

“When we have a bio metric system that we use and every month, after establishing an ethics committee, if one do not have this number of hours in the month they get a deduction in salaries and beyond that abcd can happen.”

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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