The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has pledged to provide a resilient and effective opposition in Parliament, despite being outnumbered by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In an exclusive interview with The Chronicle on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 the Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammi Awuku, stressed that the NPP would hold the government accountable for its programs and policies.
“We will be very resilient, formidable and effective to put the government in check”, he vowed.
Awuku drew inspiration from the NPP’s history, citing the party’s success in the 2000 general elections, despite being outnumbered by the NDC in the 1997 Parliament.
“We are resolved just as our forebears were in 1997, when there were just about 67 Members of Parliament against 133 Members of Parliament from the NDC side.
“We did rise to the occasion – we worked hard and with determination and courage we were able to move beyond our barriers and recapture our lost grounds”.
The NDC currently holds 183 seats in Parliament, while the NPP has 88 seats. Four Independent MPs have also indicated to the Speaker to do business with the NDC, with one constituency, Ablekuma North, still in contention.
Despite the huge gap in the number of seats secured by the two political parties, Sammi Awuku remained optimistic about the NPP’s ability to provide effective opposition.
He told The Chronicle that what would work for the Minority Caucus is their determination and commitment, noting that with the few days they have been in the legislative house, the confidence level of their members gives hope that they will give a very good account of themselves.
“We are not going to be a rubberstamp Minority. We are going to be a very strong and effective Minority”, he stressed.
Mr Awuku also shared his experience on the Appointments Committee, which has conducted public hearings on three presidential nominees.
He expressed disappointment with the committee’s chairman and the lack of transparency in the process.
The Appointments Committee, which has so far conducted public hearings on three ministerial nominees, Mr Awuku expressed disappointment of the committee’s chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, over his attempt to intimidate new members of the committee belonging to the Minority Caucus.
Additionally, the practice of not making the curriculum vitae (CV) of the nominees available to members for proper scrutiny was in bad faith.
Nevertheless, he was hopeful that a smooth process will ensue in subsequent public hearings of presidential nominees.
Mr Awuku’s dedication to his constituents was evident in his recent election victory, where he secured 28,365 votes (66.61%) to win the Akuapem North parliamentary seat.
By Stephen Odoi-Larbi
