Ablakwa calls for more investigative MPs to hold executive accountable

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region, has emphasised the need for more investigative MPs in the legislature to hold the executive accountable and ensure good governance.

Speaking on the Class Morning Show, co-hosted by Kwame Dwomoh Agyemang and Valentina Ofori-Afriyie, on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, Ablakwa underscored the importance of having MPs who can scrutinise and validate contracts initiated by the Executive and going outside their ways to investigate deals brought before Parliament.

He pointed out that some contracts make the executive uncomfortable when it comes to sharing details with the Legislature.

Known for his anti-corruption exposés, Ablakwa remarked, "If the legislature had waited for the executive, thinking that they will do the needful by bringing some of these contracts to Parliament for validation, the House would have been short-changed."

He asserted that not everything is disclosed by the executive to the legislature or the Ghanaian public.

"It took the investigative prowess of some of us to get the details on the biggest scam carried out in the world in the name of the National Cathedral to get details of the contract," he stated.

He stressed the need for more investigative MPs in Parliament who are willing to go beyond the norm to hold the executive accountable.

Ablakwa, who also serves as the Chairman of the Assurance Committee, emphasised that this approach would help eliminate whimsical and capricious deals within the government.

"As Chairman of the Committee, I am big on accountability and the retrieval of funds taken for no job done," he added.

He advocates a new wave of investigative MPs to enhance the legislature's oversight role and safeguard the interests of Ghanaians, stressing that many of the contracts under this administration are hydra-headed.