Backbenchers of parliament dominating activities rather than Leadership - First Deputy Speaker

According to Joseph Osei Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, backbenchers now dominate the activities of the House rather than the leadership.


The member of parliament for Bekwai has highlighted that, in contrast to the past, when leaders took the lead in bringing up matters in the House, it is now the backbenchers who are in charge.

On Thursday, July 20, 2023, he informed reporters in Parliament that younger lawmakers have a different perspective from the leadership, which has changed how the House is run.

"Today, youth are in charge; they have different perspectives than the rest of us. People from the back bench are always the ones that come to voice these issues, never the leaders, even when their leaders agree to do so.

"What that indicates is that the back bench currently controls the Ghanaian Parliament, not the leaders, at this time. We could therefore predict what you would receive based on the quantity of backbenchers you bring in and the direction of the backbench.

He added that the hung Parliament, which he believed would be beneficial for Ghana's democracy and had 137 members for each of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), was incorrect.

This, he claimed, had a negative impact on the House's ability to work together.

In order to avoid the issue they are currently experiencing, he urged the electorate to grant each side a sizable majority in the caucus that represents them.

"Let me also add that Ghanaians ought to give whichever faction they choose a sizable majority.

"When parliament got this close, I said that cooperation would improve. Unfortunately, I was wrong; cooperation has worsened, bringing out the worst in each of us, and we are receiving the worst performance."