Constitutional review should prevent MPs from doubling as ministers - Fifi Kwetey

The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has called for constitutional reforms to prevent Members of Parliament (MPs) from simultaneously serving as ministers of state.

He argued that the current arrangement weakens parliamentary oversight and short-changes voters.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Face to Face programme on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Mr Kwetey said the practice turns Parliament into “an appendage of the executive”, as many MPs prioritise ministerial ambitions over their legislative responsibilities.

“I insist that the constitutional review, one of the first things it must tackle, is to decouple this business where, if you are in Parliament, you can be elected to become a member of government,” Mr Kwetey stated.

He accused some MPs of using their parliamentary roles as stepping stones to cabinet positions, rather than genuinely seeking to represent their constituents.

“If you want to run to become an MP, we must know that you are seeking to be an MP – not coming to use that position to deceive the country while you’re actually looking for a ministerial appointment,” he asserted.

Mr Kwetey said the overlap between Parliament and the executive hampers the legislature’s ability to effectively hold the government to account.

“Parliament should not be an appendage of the executive, where literally everything is about what the executive wants,” he said. “The best way to serve the people of Ghana is to have Parliament doing its job and being able to say, ‘No, this is not acceptable.’”

He recalled that the provision allowing MPs to serve as ministers was introduced under President Hilla Limann to prevent the legislature from obstructing the executive. However, he described it as a historical “exception” that no longer suits Ghana’s democratic evolution.

“We have so many countries practising democracy, and that is not the case,” he noted. “Parliament was simply a means by which you wanted to serve your people. Becoming a minister was a bonus, not the aim.”

He further argued that removing the incentive for MPs to chase ministerial roles would help restore Parliament’s independence and strengthen accountability in governance.