NewzExecutive Director of the Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Rasheed Dramani, has urged Parliament to take allegations involving its members seriously. He warned that its failure to properly investigate such claims could deepen public mistrust of the institution. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Dr Dramani said that his concern, when the latest controversy emerged, was not simply about Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
He said the focus should be on the office he occupies and its importance to parliamentary accountability, particularly under a supermajority government. “I was very worried not about Afenyo-Markin, but as Inusah Fuseini said, about that office, particularly at a time when we have a supermajority parliament,” he said. Dr Dramani stressed the need for political leaders to uphold high ethical standards.
We need a minority with a very high level of integrity to be able to hold this supermajority and the executive accountable.” His comments come amid the controversy triggered by GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi’s allegation that Mr Afenyo-Markin was an “extortionist.” Mr Gyamfi’s remarks sparked a strong response from the Minority Leader, who rejected the allegation and threatened legal action. The dispute has since escalated into a legal confrontation, while the Office of the Special Prosecutor is conducting a preliminary assessment of related allegations to determine whether to open a full-scale investigation. Dr Dramani said the latest controversy must also be viewed against a history of allegations involving Parliament that have not always resulted in clear resolutions.
He identified partisan solidarity as one of the factors contributing to public mistrust. “I think the first one is that over the years we have seen in our parliament that partisan solidarity overrides accountability.” He said caucuses sometimes rally behind accused MPs without first confronting the substance of the allegations. “So you accuse one person, then an entire caucus begins to rally around that person without even asking the critical question.” Dr Dramani also questioned whether Parliament applies the same scrutiny to itself that it applies to the Executive.
“Parliament is better at scrutinising the executive than having the moral authority to scrutinise itself,” he said. He said partisan loyalty often takes precedence over the scrutiny expected from lawmakers, contributing to growing public perceptions that Parliament is corrupt. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Dr Dramani said his concern goes beyond the allegations involving Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
He said the controversy should instead force Parliament to examine the credibility of the office and the institution itself. “And for me, when this issue broke out, I was very worried not about Afenyo-Markin, but, as Inusah Fuseini said, about that office, particularly at a time when we have a supermajority parliament.” According to Dr Dramani, Ghana needs parliamentary leaders with sufficient integrity to hold the Executive accountable, particularly under a supermajority. Dr Dramani said one major factor is MPs’ tendency to rally around colleagues facing allegations without first demanding answers.
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