The Deputy Majority Leader, George Kwaku Ricketts-Hagan, has called on colleague legislators to return to their constituencies to serve and expand opportunities for the people regardless of their political persuasion.
He urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to place Ghana first and never allow partisan interests to eclipse the national interest.
Mr Ricketts-Hagan said MPs must continue to demonstrate that leadership was not measured by political victories alone, but by the positive difference they made in the lives of fellow citizens.
“Together, we must join hands to build a Ghana where opportunity is expanded, justice is upheld, institutions are strengthened, and every citizen has confidence in the promise of our democracy,” he said.
Expectations
Delivering his closing remarks prior to the House going on recess, Mr Ricketts-Hagan said MPs should remember that the work of nation-building did not end when Parliament adjourned.
“Our constituents expect us to return not merely as politicians but as servants of the people, and they expect us to listen, lead and solve problems and inspire hope.
The Ghanaian people have entrusted us with a sacred responsibility,” he said.
“This meeting has once again shown that Parliament can rise above division when the national interest demands it, and may that spirit continue to guide our way,” he said.
Faithfulness to mandate
Mr Ricketts-Hagan said over the 11-week period that the House met, members had demonstrated why the Parliament remained the foremost institution through which the sovereign will of the people was fully expressed.
He said the House had deliberated passionately, scrutinised diligently and legislated responsibly.
That, he said, had reinforced the understanding that democracy was strengthened not by the uniformity of opinion but by the maturity with which different opinions were debated and ultimately reconciled for the national interest.
Throughout the meeting, he said, Parliament had remained faithful to its constitutional mandate of legislation, deliberation, representation and oversight.
“The business before the House has been extensive, demanding and consequential, yet throughout the collective commitment of members on both sides of the aisle, we have discharged our responsibility with dedication and a deep appreciation of the trust reposed in us by the people,” he said.
Mr Ricketts-Hagan acknowledged that the just-ended meeting had been characterised by an intensive legislative agenda that reflected the commitment of the government to strengthen Ghana’s legal framework while responding to the evolving aspirations of the nation.
While emphasising that legislative productivity remained at the heart of MPs’ work, he said during the meeting, 16 bills, including four Private Members’ Bills, were introduced before the House.
Bills passed
The House, he said, successfully passed eight bills while carefully considering several others at various stages of the legislative process.
He named some of the important bills the House passed as the Community Service Bill, 2026, which introduced a more restorative approach to criminal justice; the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, which strengthened Ghana's maritime security architecture. and the National Defence University Bill, 2026, which reinforced the country’s national security and defence education framework.
He also mentioned the Tribunals Bill, 2026, intended to advance judicial administration; the Customs Bill, intended to strengthen customs administration, safeguard national revenue, facilitate legitimate trade and enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of ports and borders; as well as the Income Tax Amendment Bill, 2026, which enhanced revenue generation and mobilisation.
The rest were the Value Added Taxes Amendment Bill, 2026, which simplified VAT administration, improved tax compliance, enhanced domestic revenue mobilisation, and reduced costs of doing business; as well as the Excise Bill, 2026, which sought to modernise the country's revenue administration and improve its fiscal management system.
“Taken together, these legislative achievements are not isolated enactments,” he said.
The MP for Cape Coast South said the strength of every Parliament lay not merely in the number of bills it passed or the hours it spent in debate, but in the extent to which its work improved the lives of ordinary citizens.
Ultimately, he said, the success of deliberations must be measured by the hope they inspired, the opportunities they created, and the confidence they restored in the institutions of democratic governance.
Mr Ricketts-Hagan said it was against that background that the House had continued to provide the legislative foundation for Ghana's economic recovery, social transformation, and institutional strengthening.
“Over the course of this meeting, government has continued to pursue policies aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability, strengthening fiscal discipline, and rebuilding confidence in the Ghanaian economy,” he said.
“We are witnessing encouraging signs that the difficult but necessary reforms undertaken over the past months are beginning to yield positive outcomes,” he said.
