Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Rasheed Dramani, has called on Parliament to take allegations involving its members seriously, warning that failure to properly investigate such claims could further erode public confidence in the institution.
Speaking on Joy FM’s PM Express on Tuesday, Dr Dramani said his concern over the latest controversy was not limited to Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin but extended to the integrity of the office he occupies.
“I was very worried not about Afenyo-Markin, but as Inusah Fuseini said, about that office, particularly at a time when we have a supermajority parliament,” he said.
He stressed the importance of integrity among political leaders, particularly within the Minority, which has the responsibility of holding the Majority and the Executive to account.
“We need leaders with integrity. We need a minority with a very high level of integrity to be able to hold this supermajority and the executive accountable,” he said.
GoldBod controversy
Dr Dramani’s comments follow a controversy sparked by GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi’s allegation that Mr Afenyo-Markin was an “extortionist.”
The Minority Leader has rejected the allegation and threatened legal action, with the dispute subsequently escalating into a legal confrontation.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor is also conducting a preliminary assessment of related allegations to determine whether a full investigation should be opened.
Dr Dramani said the controversy should be considered within the broader history of allegations involving Parliament and the concerns surrounding how such matters have been handled.
Partisan solidarity and accountability
He identified partisan solidarity as one of the factors contributing to public mistrust of Parliament.
“I think the first one is that over the years we have seen in our parliament that partisan solidarity overrides accountability,” he said.
According to him, parliamentary caucuses sometimes rally behind MPs facing allegations without first examining the substance of the claims.
“So you accuse one person, then an entire caucus begins to rally around that person without even asking the critical question,” he said.
Dr Dramani also questioned whether Parliament subjects itself to the same level of scrutiny it applies to the Executive.
“Parliament is better at scrutinising the executive than having the moral authority to scrutinise itself,” he said.
He cited the work of the Public Accounts Committee as an example, noting that the committee held about 31 public hearings in 2024 and made more than 1,000 recommendations for the recovery of public resources.
He questioned whether Parliament would apply the same standard when allegations involve its own members.
Call for an independent process
Dr Dramani said the political cost of investigating fellow MPs often discourages Parliament from pursuing allegations thoroughly.
“The political cost of, you know, investigating themselves, their own, is usually very high, and they want to rather keep quiet because over the years they build relationships; current MPs are future ministers, and all the kind of networks and so on,” he said.
He argued that Parliament needs a clear and credible process for taking allegations from investigation through to resolution.
“What Parliament hasn’t done for itself over the years is that we haven’t seen a clear path of allegation to resolution,” he said.
Dr Dramani welcomed Mr Afenyo-Markin’s decision to pursue the matter in court and proposed that any parliamentary ad hoc committee established to examine the allegations should include independent figures outside Parliament.
“I am hoping, Evans, that maybe for the first time we would have a committee that is made up not only of MPs,” he said.
He suggested a committee comprising MPs and eminent Ghanaians, arguing that such an approach could help restore public confidence in Parliament.
“Maybe a committee of Parliament that is made up of MPs and some eminent Ghanaians, so that for the first time, and in the interest of Parliament itself, in order to improve its image in the eyes of the public, that this matter is dealt with,” he said.
According to Dr Dramani, the process must ultimately produce a clear and definitive outcome, whether that results in sanctions or exoneration.
“So that we see a clear path from this allegation to a clear resolution, and if there are sanctions, let them be applied; if there are exonerations, let those happen,” he said.
