Set term limits for MPs – Obiri Boahen

The deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party has suggested that term limits must be set for Members of Parliament.

According to Nana Obiri Boahen, laws must be made to enable Members of Parliament to serve for a particular term due to the large number of people who seek to contest parliamentary primaries after every four years.

“We need as a nation, we must agree that we must have a limit for the members of parliament because it will help us all. If the president is being told after two terms he cannot contest why can’t we set a limit for the MPs also,” Mr Obiri Boahen told Morning Starr in an interview Monday.

His comments come after the vetting exercise of the ruling NPP was marred with uncontrolled anger following the disqualification of fifteen (15) aspirants.

The vetting process which started on March 4 ended Saturday, March 7, 2020, saw 79 aspirants make an appearance before the vetting committee out of which the fifteen were disqualified.

Some of the notable disqualified aspirants were Lawyer Philip Addison – Lead Counsel for the NPP during the landmark election petition of 2012 at the Supreme Court. Mr Addison was contesting the incumbent MP -Nana Ama Dokua also a Deputy Information Minister alongside William Agyei Twumasi an Accountant at Akropong Presbyterian College of Education who was also disqualified.

All four aspirants -Ernest Adade Owiredu, Kudjoe Amegah Kafui, Eric Agyarko and Dr Benny Frank who were contesting the Incumbent Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei Asare, a Deputy Finance Minister, was also disqualified.

Dr Samuel Owusu Akyem, the only aspirant who was contesting the MP for Atiwa West-Kwasi Amoako Atta who doubles as the Roads and Highways Minister, was also disqualified.

The former Executive Director of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Gloria Ofori -Boadu who was contesting Samuel Atta Akyea in Abuakwa South was disqualified. Given impetus for the Minister of Works and Housing to go unopposed.

The Abirim MP, John Osei Frimpong, may go unopposed as his two contenders – Frank Mireku Ahemah and Daniel Amoako Afrifa were disqualified. Frank Mireku Ahemah was arrested at the vetting ground by Police over allegations of fraud.

At Fanteakwa North, the incumbent MP, Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, may go unopposed following the disqualification of his two contenders-Moro Sakyiama Yakubu and Freeman Ofori Agyarko.

Mr Obiri Boahen added that the disqualification Mr Addison will be reviewed by the leadership of the party.