Don’t rush to vote out experienced MPs - Mensah-Bonsu

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has said the majority of Members of Parliament (MP) has stressed the need for the citizenry to develop in-depth knowledge of their legislative functions adding that MPs have been unnecessarily misunderstood and attacked for not championing the cause of socio-economic development in their constituencies.

Speaking on Otec FM’s morning show ‘Nyasapo’ on Wednesday May 13, 2020, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in the Ashanti Region, he said the rate of ‘ignorance’ about the core functions of parliamentarians amongst the average Ghanaian was worrying.

"The august house has over the years lost some very experienced and knowledgeable personalities as their constituents agitate for their removal for not spearheading the development of their areas. This is unfortunate’’, he told the programme’s host, Captain Koda.

Mr. Mensah-Bonsu stated that Parliamentarians would continue to build consensus on issues that affected the interest of the people. He advised Ghanaians to be law-abiding in the discharge of their duties since no meaningful development could take place in a chaotic environment.

He said due to the influence of money which often plays a key role in the election of MPs in Ghana, many of those who are elected are sometimes not too interested in the core business of Parliament.

“Oftentimes, when it comes to making laws, you don’t see more than 50 people in the house,” he said and urged political parties to relook their processes of electing people to contest on their tickets as MPs.