Kojo Oppong Nkrumah: Why Parliament Must Prioritize the People’s Business

On February 3, 2026, Ghana’s Ninth Parliament reconvened for its second session, laden with a lengthy corporate calendar. For Offinso South MP and former Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, this moment sparked a critical question: How much tangible impact will Parliament’s scheduled business have on the lives of the average Ghanaian? In a compelling address, he challenged his colleagues to abandon performative politics and embrace rigorous, non-partisan oversight on the urgent economic and social issues keeping citizens awake at night. This article explores his argument, the five key priorities he champions, and what a truly effective parliamentary session could mean for Ghana’s future.

Introduction: The Disconnect Between Parliamentary Drama and Public Reality

Ghana’s Parliament is back in session, but a profound disconnect threatens its legitimacy. While legislators prepare for debates, millions of Ghanaians grapple with daily crises: youth unemployment, soaring food prices, a struggling manufacturing sector, delayed payments for cocoa farmers, and regional security concerns. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah asserts that Parliament too often reduces itself to “a chamber of theatre”, where interventions are judged by volume rather than substance, and partisan exchanges crowd out serious problem-solving. The core issue, he states, is a failure to conduct “The People’s Business”—the substantive, oversight-heavy work that directly influences constituents’ livelihoods. This rewrite examines his proposed pivot from political posturing to policy-focused action.

Key Points: Five Pillars for a Productive Parliamentary Session

Oppong Nkrumah identifies five specific, actionable areas that demand Parliament’s immediate and focused attention. These are not abstract ideals but concrete inquiries and legislative amendments aimed at systemic reform.

1. Investigating the 2025 WASSCE Crisis

The catastrophic West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results of 2025, where over 50% of candidates failed core mathematics, cannot be relegated to partisan ping-pong. A formal Parliamentary Inquiry is needed to conduct a dispassionate, in-depth review of the causes and formulate evidence-based solutions. The future of hundreds of thousands of young Ghanaians hangs in the balance.

2. Probing the 2025 Gold Trading Losses

Significant public financial losses in the gold trading sector must be transparently investigated. Initial government attempts to obfuscate the figures—labeling them as “economic costs”—are unacceptable. Parliament must ascertain the root causes and establish preventive mechanisms to restore discipline and public trust in resource management.

3. Scrutinizing the Rising Cost of Manufacturing

Industrialization remains a mere aspiration as manufacturers buckle under a 26% increase in electricity costs (since early 2025), logistics inefficiencies, and regulatory burdens. A non-partisan parliamentary probe is essential to diagnose these challenges and forge consensus on actionable solutions, not empty slogans.

4. Passing the “No Plan, No Cash” Bill

This Private Member’s Amendment to the Public Financial Management Act would make it illegal for the Treasury to fund any program not outlined in the National Development Plan. It serves as a critical guardrail against wasteful spending on unapproved “pet projects,” potentially saving billions of cedis.

5. Ensuring Deeper Scrutiny of Legislation

The normalization of using “certificates of urgency” for most government bills stifles meaningful debate and stakeholder input. Parliament must reclaim its constitutional role by demanding adequate time for clause-by-clause review, as nearly happened with the rushed 24-hour economic environment authority bill.

Background: The Erosion of Parliamentary Credibility

To understand Oppong Nkrumah’s plea, one must contextualize it within Ghana’s Fourth Republic. Parliament is designed as the primary oversight arm of government, a check on the executive, and a direct representative of the citizenry. However, a persistent trend toward performative politics—where grandstanding for media clips supersedes committee work and rigorous analysis—has eroded public trust. This is not unique to Ghana; many democracies face similar pressures. The MP frames the current moment as a crossroads: continue with theatrical debates that provide “heat but little light”, or recommit to the painstaking work of investigation, legislation, and accountability that defines a mature legislature. His argument is that the latter is the only path to reversing the growing cynicism, particularly among Ghana’s youth.

Analysis: Deconstructing the “People’s Business” Framework

Oppong Nkrumah’s speech offers a coherent framework for effective parliamentary opposition and governance. Its strength lies in its specificity and its alignment with fundamental democratic principles.

The Philosophy of Substantive Oversight

At its core, his argument champions evidence-based policymaking. Instead of reacting to headlines, Parliament should proactively set an agenda based on national pain points. The five priorities he lists—education outcomes, fiscal discipline, industrial competitiveness, food security (implied by cocoa payments and manufacturing costs), and transparency—map directly onto key economic and social indicators. This approach treats oversight not as a partisan weapon but as a national service. It recognizes that a government’s successes and failures are the nation’s legacy, and learning from both is crucial for progress.

Legislative Tools and Constitutional Mandate

The MP correctly identifies the tools at Parliament’s disposal: Parliamentary Inquiries (under Article 103 of the 1992 Constitution), Private Member’s Bills, and the power of consent and scrutiny over financial and legislative matters. His frustration with the scarcity of government program documents highlights a critical oversight gap. In functional democracies, the executive routinely shares policy frameworks with the legislature to enable effective review. The lack of these 16 requested documents severely hampers Parliament’s ability to perform its constitutional duty. His advocacy for the “No Plan, No Cash” Bill is a direct legislative response to this gap, aiming to codify fiscal discipline.

The Danger of Normalizing Urgency

The tactic of attaching a certificate of urgency to most bills is a subtle but powerful erosion of parliamentary sovereignty. While constitutionally permissible for genuine emergencies, its routine use transforms Parliament from a deliberative assembly into a mere endorser of executive agenda. This short-circuits the valuable input of civil society, the media, and even backbench MPs. The 24-hour economic environment authority bill is cited as a near-miss example where rushed passage could have led to a flawed law. Oppong Nkrumah is warning against the institutionalization of this practice, which ultimately weakens the quality of legislation and public buy-in.

Practical Advice: What MPs and Citizens Can Do

Translating this vision into action requires concrete steps from both legislators and the public they serve.

For Parliamentarians:

• Formalize the Agenda: The leadership of the House, particularly the Majority and Minority Leaders, should negotiate a “People’s Business Calendar” that dedicates specific sitting days and committee time to the five priority areas, insulating them from partisan postponements.
• Leverage Committees: The relevant sectoral committees (Education, Finance, Trade, etc.) must be mandated to produce preliminary reports on these inquiries within fixed timelines, with public hearings that include experts, CSOs, and affected citizens.
• Build Cross-Party Coalitions: Success on issues like the gold losses or manufacturing costs requires non-partisan consensus. MPs should form issue-based groups that transcend party lines to develop shared recommendations.
• Use Public Pressure Tactfully: MPs should regularly report to their constituents on progress (or lack thereof) on these inquiries, using town hall meetings and social media to build bottom-up demand for accountability.
• Insist on Documents: The entire House should collectively and persistently demand the outstanding program and policy documents, treating their withholding as a violation of its constitutional authority.

For Citizens and Civil Society:

• Track the Issues: Use parliamentary monitoring portals (like the official Parliament of Ghana website) to track motions, bills, and committee reports related to these five priorities.
• Organize Thematically: CSOs should form coalitions around each issue (e.g., an education reform coalition, a manufacturing advocacy group) to provide research, submit memoranda to committees, and mobilize public support.
• Hold MPs Accountable Locally: During inter-parliamentary breaks, constituents should directly question their MPs on their contributions to these specific debates, not just on general party politics.
• Amplify Data-Driven Narratives: Shift the public discourse from personality clashes to the substantive data: WASSCE failure rates, electricity tariff hikes, gold loss figures. Media houses should dedicate analytical segments to these policy issues.

FAQ: Addressing Common Questions on Parliamentary Reform

Q1: Is Oppong Nkrumah’s call merely political opposition in disguise?

A: Not necessarily. The priorities outlined—education quality, fiscal prudence, industrial growth—are nationally significant issues that transcend any single government’s tenure. The “No Plan, No Cash” Bill, for instance, would constrain future governments of any party. The test is whether other MPs, regardless of affiliation, will support these inquiries and bills based on their merit. True national interest often requires cross-party collaboration.

Q2: Can Parliamentary Inquiries actually force government action or recover lost funds?

A: Inquiries do not have direct executive power, but they wield significant political and moral authority. A thorough, public, and bipartisan inquiry report can: 1) Force the resignation of implicated officials, 2) Compel the government to implement recommended reforms to avoid further scandal, 3) Provide a blueprint for future legislation, and 4) Mobilize public pressure. The 2021 Emoluments Committee inquiry, for example, led to significant reforms in public sector remuneration despite not being a legal verdict.

Q3: What is a “Certificate of Urgency” and is it being misused?

A: It is a constitutional mechanism (Article 106(13)) allowing the President to certify a bill as urgent, reducing the minimum notice period for its second reading from 14 days to a shorter period. Its misuse occurs when applied to complex, non-emergency legislation (like the 24-hour economy bill), denying MPs and the public adequate time for scrutiny. The remedy lies in Parliament collectively challenging the validity of the urgency certification for specific bills, which it has the power to do.

Q4: How can ordinary citizens influence these parliamentary processes?

A: Through structured engagement. Citizens can submit written memoranda to parliamentary committees, participate in public hearings, engage their MPs through constituency offices, and use media campaigns to highlight specific issues. The key is to frame demands around the five priority areas, creating a unified public agenda that is harder for Parliament to ignore.

Q5: What are the potential legal implications of the “No Plan, No Cash” Bill?

A: The bill seeks to strengthen the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) by creating a legal barrier against unauthorized expenditure. Its main legal implication would be to criminalize the release of funds for projects not captured in the approved National Development Plan or annual budget. This would empower the Auditor-General and other oversight institutions to flag and prosecute such instances, potentially leading to significant savings but also requiring clear definitions to avoid paralyzing necessary adaptive spending.

Conclusion: Reclaiming the Legislature’s Soul

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah’s message is a stark and necessary critique of a system at risk of irrelevance. Parliament’s primary value is not in producing viral moments but in providing rigorous, non-partisan oversight that improves governance and lives. The five priorities he champions—WASSCE, gold losses, manufacturing costs, fiscal discipline, and legislative scrutiny—are a practical roadmap for this essential work. The choice for Ghana’s Ninth Parliament is clear: continue as a “theater of political posturing” or transform into a “workshop for national solutions.” The former invites public contempt; the latter earns the trust necessary for national development. The “People’s Business” is not a slogan; it is the solemn duty of every elected representative. As the MP concludes, Parliament was not elected for a Netflix series but for the hard, vital work of serving Ghana’s people. The time to do that work is now.

Sources and Further Reading

• Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992. (Articles 103, 106, 108 on Parliamentary Powers and Procedures).
• Parliament of Ghana. (2023). Standing Orders of Parliament. (Rules on Urgency, Committees, and Inquiries).
• Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
• Ghana Education Service & WAEC. (2025). Report on the 2025 WASSCE Performance in Ghana.
• Bank of Ghana. (Various 2025-2026). Reports on Gold Sector and Manufacturing Survey.
• Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Ghana. (2024). Position Paper on Parliamentary Oversight and Effectiveness.
• Original Speech: Oppong Nkrum