SPECIAL REPORT: The 34 MPs who never spoke in Parliament in 2019
The news portal’s Political Desk team has combed through 125 hansards of 2019 over a three-week project and presents its findings.
The research does not claim to be an exhaustive work on the contributions of MPs to the work of Parliament. It does not include their work at committees as that would be nigh impossible to track.
It also does not include portions of the Hansard that deals with the correction of minutes because it would be majoring on minors. It relies exclusively on 2019 Hansard published on the parliament of Ghana’s website as of February 2020.
In this next batch of research, theghanareport.com presents you with a list of 34 MPs who never spoke on the floor of the House in 2019, according to the Hansard.
Of the 34 MPs, 28 are with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). Four female MPs in Parliament made the infamous list.
Some are also first-term MPs.
At least five names on this list are ministers or deputy ministers – including deputy minister for Roads and Highways, Anthony Karbo, and the recently promoted Minister of State at the Ministry for the Interior, Byran Acheampong.
Their names raise questions about Ghana’s political system, which allows the majority of ministers to be appointed from Parliament. The practice continues to undermine the work of Parliament and the effectiveness of MPs who get the executive nod.
This is, however, not likely to worry MPs as many enter Parliament with an eye for ministerial appointments which comes with big-budget controls and personal perks.
A position that comes with far greater political clout than an MP.
The website’s attention has been drawn to names wrongly included in the list. It has also emerged that while the website relied exclusively on the Hansard published on parliament’s website, the list for 2019 did not include some parts of proceedings for December 2019.
The website would like to apologise to four MPs affected by their wrongful inclusion in the list of silent MPs. They are Upper Denkyira East MP, Nana Amoako; Agona West MP, Cynthia Morrison; MP for Kumawu, Philip Basoah; and MP for Ahafo Ano South West, Johnson Kwaku Adu.
Theghanareport.com is committed to publishing researches that enhance Ghana’s parliamentary democracy.
The website will be serialising the performance of MPs on the floor of the chamber. Watch out for the next episode on the most vocal debutants, plus research on the contributions of female MPs.
NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE EDITOR, EDWIN APPIAH. HE MAY BE REACHED ON 030 296 5516/ 054 842 6252 or Email via info@theghanareport.com
THEGHANAREPORT.COM RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE ITS OPTIONS.
Rating the performance of members of parliament by whether and how often they speak in plenary sessions is misleading.
The bulk the parliamentarian’s work is at the level of the committee.
A better rating should be based on:
1). the attendance of committee sessions by the MP
2). the position taken by the MP on matters before the committee, whether they conform to what he promised to do when elected.
3). How the MP votes on matters before the full house; whether it conforms to what he promised to do when elected.
I concur
I don’t agree with you. Mp for Abura Asebu kwamankese district, Hon. Elvis Morris Donkoh, never spoke from January 2019 to December 2019 and he is not part of this list
B the
If you read the report you will realized that the work acknowledged the work of mps at committe level but said their focus was on proceedings from the record on the hansard. So the clearly define the methodology of work and can draw their conclusion on that base on the type of question they want to answer. They are however not saying that is the only work of MPs.
Thank you for the feedback. We really appreciate it. The challenge with the suggestion, however, is that committee sittings are not made public with the exception of the Public Account and Appointment Committee sittings. The sittings of the Defence and Security Committee, for instance, is a no go area because of the issues of national security.
Kindly note that upper many a krobo seat is being occupied by Npp not NDC.
Thank you. Corrected
This report is inappropriate because my MP Hon Philip Basoah MP for Kumawu constituency for instance spoke several times during 2019 sittings.
Notable ones are; He spoke on floor during the debate on President’s state of the nation address in 2019. Then also raised questions about the state of Kumawu District Hospital when health minister called to addresses issues on state of Mahama’s District Hospitals at floor of Parliament. So please kindly check your report well and do needful.
Thanks
Open your eyes 👀 when reading
If you read the report you will realized that the work acknowledged the work of mps at committe level but said their focus was on proceedings from the record on the hansard. So the clearly define the methodology of work and can draw their conclusion on that base on the type of question they want to answer. They are however not saying that is the only work of MPs.
What about Techiman south mp.
6 NDC MPs
33 NPP MPs
Hmmmmm some of the mps are not actually working. Am not surprise my mp is part of the none performing MPs.
What about bunkpurugu nakpanduri mp? Solomon Boar, I have never seen him speaking in the floor. Am surprised his name is not on the list.
Hmm some of our MPs across the regions are good for nothing,they don’t work.oh God save Ghanab
U see ur foolishness masa! When people do foolish report biaaa u dey comment.
The Editor should render an unqualified apology to all the Honourable Members. How can a media house do such a childish report. Are u following money or u wan to educate people.
Maybe money is his motivation
Infact, they have done marvelously well by exposing them on the floor. Look to be an mp is not a child play of which they will use the tax payers money to pay you and you go to the Parliament house and sit there and say “yeeh,yeeh”.
They should continue to expose them so that the active one’s will occupy the position as a parliamentary candidate. I’m so opprobrium opprobrious to hear this.
The report is misleading… Most of the MPs work are done at the committee levels and forwarded to the house for debate.
So if the MPs don’t work at the committee levels, how will people speak on it on the floor?
Besides, should an MP speak on an issue that his/her colleagues have already addressed or raised, just for speaking sake?
A M MA NYAGSA what about my mp savelugu