How politicians, especially legislators, behave daily is still largely unknown. This article gives a unique empirical account of the daily accountability pressures and the strategies that Members of Parliament (MPs) in Ghana employ in responding to the demands that they face.
It is very common to find most of the headlines both in the print media, airwaves, and social media about the activities of Ghanaian politicians; especially Members of Parliament and 2020 was no different as some Ghanaian MPs grabbed the headlines with some of the activities and pronouncements.
As they swear the parliamentary oath, Pulse.com.gh takes a look at who they are and the controversies they caused that made headlines in the country.
Carlos Ahenkorah
The deputy minister for Trade and Member of Parliament for Tema West, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah was given an ultimatum by the President to resign or be fired.
The ultimatum was given to him after the MP granted interviews to several radio stations in Accra confirming he visited registration centres during the voters' registration despite his COVID-19 positive status.
According to him, he was admitted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital but was discharged after his condition improved.
He also confirmed that he was diagnosed with the deadly virus on June 23, 2020, and was asked self-isolate but he decided to visit several registration centres because he was asymptomatic.
The majority of Ghanaians descended on the MP on social media describing his behaviour as irresponsible and undermining the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
After that, Carlos Ahenkorah, resigned from his position following his admission of breaching the COVID-19 protocols after testing positive for the virus.
Kennedy Agyapong
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, is one of the fiercest lawmakers in the country. His renegade nature has made him popular among the electorates in Ghana.
His actions in 2020 still lingers on and causes controversies in the media landscape and this time around, the maverick MP is alleged to have "scandalised" and "threatened" the judge and, by extension, the court and bringing its name into disrepute.
He was supposed to appear before Judge Amos Wuntah Wuni for calling him 'stupid'.
The livid MP said on Net 2 TV, "You are a stupid judge. I will face you."
"I am not Anas to take bribe from you," he added in local language Twi.
He stressed: "I will deal with you."
But the Supreme Court unanimously asked Justice Amos Wuntah Wuni, the judge hearing the contempt case against Kennedy Agyapong, to stop sitting on the matter.
The Apex court ruled that the High Court Judge was biased towards the legislator.
On Monday, September 28, 2020, he failed to show up in court to answer contempt charges due to what his lawyers said was "complication from a post-COVID-19 condition".
Mavis Hawa Koomson
During the registration of the voters' registration, the Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson admitted firing a gunshot at a registration centre in Kasoa.
She said she had to take that decision to protect herself since she was not with her security detail at the time.
In an interview, she revealed that the firing of the gun wasn’t done by anyone in her team but herself.
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"None of my men had guns on then when we got to the centre. I fired the shots myself," the MP said on Accra-based Adom FM.
She added that the gunshot was a way of protecting herself at the registration centre since her police escort had not started working that day.
The MP indicated she went to the place because she heard her opponent had bussed people from other places to the registration centre.
"I'm a Member of Parliament, I need to protect myself. It was at dawn, my police escort had not started work yet. So that is a mechanism I have adopted in his absence," she said.