Professor Ransford Gyampo,a lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, has bemoaned projecting partisan interest over the needs of constituents.
He described as unacceptable, attempts by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to force its interest on its Members of Parliament (MPs) because lawmakers were elected to represent their constituents, thus, they owed their first allegiance to the electorate.
“The country will experience better growth if the needs of constituents are served because before political parties were birthed, the concept of representation existed so representation predates partisan politics,” Prof. Gyampo explained.
His comments follow a meeting with the Majority Caucus on November 22, to find an amicable resolution to the impasse in the NPP parliamentary group where 98 NPP MPs have been demanding the immediate removal of Ken Ofori-Atta,the Minister of Finance, accusing him of economic mismanagement.
The party has resolved President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will act on the earlier demands of the MPs after the 2023 Budget and Policy Statement has been read and appropriated.
Prof. Gyampo however, noted that the NPP and the president hadprioritised their partisan interests over that of the populace adding that “it appears we may all have to abandon our various professions and join partisan political campaigns to get ministerial appointment.”
“There is something there when you just hold on to it, it becomes difficult to abandon because I cannot fathom why an accomplished businessman, Ken Ofori-Atta, does not want to heed calls for his resignation even from his own camp, I am surprised a party that claimed to have the men, does not want to let go of one man who is accused of being the reason for the country’s current economic hardships.
“The issue about let us allow him to read the budget, I mean anybody can read the budget since a budget preparation and International Monetary Fund negotiation is not done between the fund and just one man but done with other people so, if a party has the men other people should be able to clearly step in to help,” Prof. Gyampo contended.
