The Majority in Parliament remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring the efficient processing of government business, particularly the swift approval of ministerial nominees, says Mahama Ayariga, the majority leader of parliament.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, January 27, he said the Majority’s primary objective is to facilitate the vetting and approval of President John Dramani Mahama’s nominees without undue delays.

“At this stage, our agenda is to have our ministers nominated by the president processed through Parliament as fast as possible and then sworn in by the president. That’s really our preoccupation, We are not to be distracted by the conduct of the Minority in the chamber or at the Appointments Committee.” he stated.

Concerns over majority’s strength

Mr Ayariga’s remarks come amid scrutiny from political analysts, including the Executive Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman, who has questioned the effectiveness of the current Majority in Parliament.

Speaking on Starr FM recently, Dr. Draman described the Majority as appearing “weak” and suggested that its handling of parliamentary affairs, especially when compared to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in opposition, was less assertive.

“Well, I mean, it doesn’t need to look like that. That may be a small goat frightening a big lion to some kind of level of submission,” he remarked.

Dr. Draman referenced the performance of the NDC during the Eighth Parliament, pointing out that they lacked representation for four years. “In the Eighth Parliament, we didn’t have members, we didn’t have representation in the House for four good years. NDC sat quietly and very timid about this,” he observed.

He contrasted this with the NPP’s aggressive resistance in the current Parliament, particularly citing their pushback in the Ablekuma North Constituency dispute, which led to a suspension of parliamentary proceedings. “We didn’t see the NDC put up the kind of pushback that we are seeing the NPP do in the case of this Ablekuma seat,” he noted.

Responding to these assertions, the majority leader rejected claims that the Majority was ineffective, emphasising the record speed at which ministerial nominees were being processed.

“If you look at the records, the speed at which we are processing the president’s nominees is unprecedented. That’s our main focus—to get the nominees quickly vetted and approved,” he stated.

Reflecting on past parliamentary proceedings, Ayariga recalled advising a former Majority Leader to prioritise governance over procedural disputes, such as seating arrangements in the chamber.

 He reiterated that achieving government objectives should be the paramount focus, rather than engaging in partisan distractions.

Balancing efficiency with accountability

While underscoring the need for efficiency, the Majority Leader acknowledged the importance of thorough scrutiny in the approval process. He stressed that the Majority must avoid being perceived as rubber-stamping executive decisions.

“You don’t want to be seen as intolerant of dissent. Our opponents lost the trust of Ghanaians partly due to such tendencies. Because of our numbers, it is tempting to expedite things, but we must also exercise due diligence,” he said.

He reaffirmed that the Majority remains committed to upholding parliamentary oversight while ensuring the smooth execution of government business. “We don’t want to see a rubber-stamp Parliament. The scrutiny of nominees remains important, even as we work efficiently.”