General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Kwetey, is calling for urgent constitutional reforms to separate the roles of Members of Parliament from ministerial appointments, arguing that the current system undermines the integrity of the legislative arm of government.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Face to Face on Channel One TV, Kwetey criticised the growing tendency among parliamentary hopefuls to view legislative office merely as a gateway to executive power.
“Parliament is a means by which you want to serve your people, and so, that should be your number one thing. So, don’t come telling me that I came to Parliament and hoping that I can get ministerial appointments. Please, please, that was not part of the contract,” he said.
He insisted that appointments to ministerial roles should not be the driving force for entering Parliament, calling such roles a mere “bonus” rather than a primary aim.
“Ministerial is a bonus. In fact, I insist that the Constitutional Review, the first thing that must be done is to decouple this business about whether you are in Parliament, you can be selected to become a government member. No, they should decouple it. So that we have genuine Parliamentarians,” he added.
Kwetey argued that the current arrangement allows candidates to mislead constituents, pretending to be committed to legislative duties while secretly aspiring to executive roles.
“You cannot use the MPship to deceive the people of this country. Meanwhile, what you are looking for is ministerial. Focus on legislation, your heart is to legislate, go in there, legislate. That is what I will recommend the country go. The Constitutional Review must decouple the two.”
He emphasized that Parliament must reclaim its independence and function as a true check on the executive branch, not as a subordinate or feeder institution.
“Parliament must become a means of checking government. So, this thing about disappointments, please tone down,” he concluded.
