Parliament reconvened on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, marking the start of the second session of the 9th Parliament. As usual, the House released a long list of agenda items for this first sitting, and reviewing them got me thinking about the real impact our work as legislators has on the everyday lives of Ghanaians.
I found myself asking: how much difference will the House’s business make for the average citizen the unemployed but hopeful young men and women, traders navigating crowded trotros or long-distance Benz 207s on potholed roads, business owners struggling to meet payroll and tax obligations, and cocoa farmers awaiting payment for their harvests?
The concerns of our people should guide our work. Their challenges are the true measure of our effectiveness as lawmakers. Yet, too often, Parliament seems more focused on theatrics than tangible solutions. Debates are crafted for soundbites, interventions judged by volume rather than substance, and partisan exchanges take center stage, entertaining some while producing little real benefit.
Meanwhile, ordinary Ghanaians face harsh realities: scarce jobs, rising food prices, a struggling manufacturing sector, a currency whose fluctuations help some and hurt others, cocoa farmers waiting for payment, and regional security threats that affect our national risk profile. Unfortunately, these pressing issues often receive far less attention than routine government business or performative debates.
As we move through 2026, it is crucial that we as representatives of the people take our responsibilities seriously. Failing to do so risks rendering Parliament irrelevant to the very citizens whose trust we have sworn to uphold.
Among the many items on the House agenda, five issues stand out as particularly critical and deserving of focused attention, both for my constituents and for millions of Ghanaians nationwide.
The first is the motion for a parliamentary inquiry into the alarming failure rates in the 2025 WASSCE, which have jeopardized the futures of thousands of young Ghanaians. Over 50% of candidates failed core mathematics, and overall performance across key subjects was poor. Initial coverage of the results was quickly overshadowed by partisan debates, while the executive branch announced its own internal review. In December 2025, Hon. Patrick Boamah and I filed a motion urging the Speaker to initiate a parliamentary inquiry, allowing for a thorough, unbiased investigation into the causes of this educational crisis. The futures of these students cannot be ignored simply because the issue is no longer in the headlines. This is undeniably The People’s Business.
The second priority is examining the gold trading losses recorded in 2025. Large public financial losses cannot simply be normalized without proper scrutiny. Initially, the government attempted to downplay or reclassify the losses as “economic costs,” but this obfuscation failed to convince the public. Now that the initial panic has subsided, Parliament must take responsible action: investigate the causes, implement measures to prevent recurrence, and restore transparency and accountability. This is not about assigning blame; it is about safeguarding public trust and financial discipline. Once again, this is The People’s Business.