Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu is a former Majority Leader in Parliament
A former Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, has challenged the appointment of Members of Parliament into ministerial positions arguing that it hinders the evolution and development of Parliament.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Joy News on the AM show, Osei Kyei-Mensah expressed concern that many MPs view Parliament primarily as a stepping stone to ministerial positions.
He stated that ministerial appointment should be based on professional competence rather than political convenience.
“Many people are coming to Parliament now to use Parliament as a springboard to be made ministers. If he’s not made a minister, more or less, he withdraws from Parliament. And it’s not good for the evolution and development of Parliament,” he said.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu questions competence of GoldBod appointees
He indicated that legislators who have served on committees within their expertise for considerable number of years usually host a wealth of knowledge in a specific area of operation and would better serve in government by giving the president quality insight.
He, consequently, challenged the rotation of ministers across sectors without regard for their expertise, arguing that it affects policy formulation and implementation.
“You appoint a minister to a sector, interrogate that person for his proficiency in that field, and then one year later, he’s shuffled out and taken to another sector. Nobody knows his proficiency in agriculture, for instance. We are inflicting this on ourselves,” he added.
He subsequently called for a clear separation between parliamentary service and ministerial appointments, saying the current system undermines the development of Parliament.
The former majority leader suggested that detaching ministerial positions from parliamentary membership would allow MPs to focus fully on legislative duties while ensuring ministers are appointed based on technical knowledge and suitability for their sectors.
SO/VPO
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