MPs being allowed to serve as ministers is Ghana's biggest problem - Sam Okudzeto

A member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto, has asserted that Ghana's main problem is Article 78 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates the appointment of Members of Parliament (MPs) as ministers of state.

According to him, MPs becoming ministers of state makes it virtually impossible for the legislative arm of government to act as a check on the executive arm, and vice versa, as required by the Constitution.

He added that being a parliamentarian is a full-time job and should not be combined with any other job, graphic.com.gh reports.

"How do you check something when you have one foot here and another foot there; which one is checking which? This is the problem that we have as a country," he stated.

"Being an MP in my time from 1969 was a part-time job, but now Parliament is a full-time job, and that is all the more reason why they even say that if you are a lawyer and an MP and want to go to court, you must seek permission from the Speaker because you are supposed to represent the people and be present in the House," he is quoted as saying.

He added, "You are supposed to make contributions to debates and vote on every issue that comes before the House. So, I think we are getting ourselves a little confused on every issue."

He pointed out that until Article 78 (1) of the 1992 Constitution is amended, the country will not make any headway in its development process.

The legal luminary also indicated that because of the fundamental issues with the constitution, Ghana, which is supposed to be a leader on the African continent, is trailing behind many countries.

"We can talk and talk, and we will not get anywhere. So, let us understand the fundamental principles since we want a constitution to govern the country. We are supposed to have set the standard for the rest of the continent.

"But I am afraid much of the continent is way ahead of us, and it is time for us to now sit down and evaluate the situation and do something which is reasonable; otherwise, I am afraid, we will be wasting our time," he said.

BAI/NOQ

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