First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has expressed deep disappointment in the performance and conduct of Members of Ghana’s 8th Parliament.
In an interview with Citi News, Osei-Owusu, popularly known as Joe Wise, described the current parliamentary session as lacking focus, marked by unnecessary controversies, and failing to prioritize its core duty of lawmaking.
Joe Wise criticized the 8th Parliament for not meeting the legislative standards set by previous sessions, stating that it has fallen short of expectations. He lamented that instead of concentrating on their primary responsibility of passing laws, MPs have been distracted by unproductive disputes.
The Deputy Speaker pointed out the low number of laws passed during this session compared to previous Parliaments, noting that both major laws and smaller legislative instruments have been insufficient.
“I am disappointed in the eighth Parliament, generally. We have done very little in legislation. You can compare the number of laws passed in the last four years with previous Parliaments, and you’ll see that the eighth Parliament has achieved the least,” he remarked.
He also criticized the growing trend of heated arguments and confrontations in the House, saying, “Matters that we used to sit down and resolve are now leading to physical altercations, which is extremely disappointing to me.”