The Minority Caucus in Parliament has issued a strong warning to the Majority, saying it will no longer tolerate the passage of bills under certificates of urgency without thorough scrutiny.
Addressing journalists on Monday, January 26, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the Minority is ready to challenge what it considers the abuse of parliamentary procedures when the House reconvenes on February 3.
“Let me draw attention to a disturbing matter on the floor of this House. We promise the people of Ghana that when Parliament reconvenes on the 3rd of February, we are not going to allow the Majority to have it their way,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin accused the Majority of undermining Parliament’s oversight role by fast-tracking legislation with limited debate.
“The Majority has turned Parliament into a fast-track House with no scrutiny — a rubber-stamp Parliament where everything comes under a certificate of urgency,” he stated.
According to him, the Minority will resist any further attempts to bypass detailed deliberation.
“They should be ready to beat us in the Chamber. We will resist with all the energy in us. No more certificates of urgency,” he warned.
He cited several laws he believes were rushed through Parliament, including the GoldBod law and various energy-related levies.
“They had their way in the passage of the GoldBod law. The Energy Sector Recovery Levy, the dumsor levy and many other laws all came under certificates of urgency and were passed without scrutiny,” he said.
The Minority Leader further argued that while the Majority relies on its numerical strength, the Minority brings depth, research and substance to parliamentary debate.
“They only talk numbers, but when it comes to quality debate, we do proper research and argue on facts supported by data. What they come into the Chamber to do is propaganda,” he asserted.
Looking ahead, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Minority would intensify its oversight role, particularly as the country approaches the 2026 fiscal year, which he described as sensitive.
“Come 2026, they will never have their way. We will hold their feet to the fire and ensure that each minister accounts for his stewardship. We know the 2026 budget is a ‘chop-chop’ budget, and we are going to scrutinise every contract and every document submitted to the Public Procurement Authority. The Minority will follow them and bring motions,” he said.
He also appealed to the Speaker of Parliament to protect the rights of both sides of the House, expressing concern over the handling of Minority motions and parliamentary questions.
“We humbly pray that the Speaker prioritises substance over form. That is the rule of equity. He should uphold the prudence of our procedures and allow debate to flow. We will not sit idly by and allow the Majority to use its numbers to deny us our duty of ensuring proper oversight,” Mr Afenyo-Markin added.
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