Supt. (Rtd) Peter Lanchene Toobu writes: Vet the “rot” out to Save Ghana

The 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic must be adaptive to be relevant. Ghanaians voted to create a hanged parliament in order to change the status quo. The expectations of the Ghanaian people for Parliament to play its oversight role effectively cannot be emphasised enough.

Comrades, I am like a Level 100 student in the 8th Parliament of Ghana and willing to learn from best practices but not actions that do not have the ordinary Ghanaian in focus.

All I know in summary is that politics and governance exist for the betterment of society and that laws are not cast in stone as they are sometimes repealed for maximum impact.

I have observed with shock the debate and the vote taken on a Motion by Lawyer Mahama Ayariga, Hon Member for Bawku Central. The Motion was for Parliament to request the President of Ghana to take urgent steps to absorb the fees of students of public tertiary education institutions for the 2020/2021 academic year and to extend support to accredited private universities as part of the national COVID-19 relief programme being implemented by the government.

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This motion has excited many students and parents in the New Normal that has resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the tail end of the debate the referee being the Rt Hon Speaker put the question for a Yes or No answer and NPP MPs shouted a NO at the top of their voices to win. Many of my colleagues on the NDC side were caught expressing shock and dismay at the conscious efforts by our opponents to vote against the Motion.

There is an exciting practice from the Supreme Court that I want the 137 NDC MPs to adopt and adapt. In the hearing of the 2020 Election Petition so far, the Justices have demonstrated strength in unity by their unanimous decisions.

It is my fervent hope that the 137 NDC MPs will make the Hanged Parliament the most effective in the 4th Republic.

I can’t wait to associate myself with the most effective, accountable and responsible Parliament in the History of Ghana.

I’m still learning but with experience and exposure in my previous career as an anchor, the solution required to create a responsible Parliament that will work to inure to the benefit of all Ghanaians, is a boot-for-boot relationship. It is difficult to build consensus with a person that has always demonstrated bad faith. Boot-for-boot is a language that derives compelling respect from an opponent who springs surprises.

Dear Comrades, we did it on the 7th of January 2021 and we can do better going forward.

With these few words, I am grateful for your time. May God bless our homeland Ghana and make it great and strong.

By Supt(Rtd) Peter Lanchene Toobu (MP)
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