By Elsie Appiah-Osei, GNA
Accra, May 22, GNA – Parliament reconvened on Thursday for the First Sitting of the Second Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament, with the Majority and Minority trading sharply contrasting assessments of the country’s direction as the Speaker urged pragmatism on contentious legislation and discipline in the House.
The day’s opening statements set the tone for what is expected to be a packed and combative meeting, dominated by 48 Bills, Constitutional Amendments, and intense scrutiny of government policy.
Delivering the Minority’s welcome address on behalf of Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, Deputy Minority Leader, Madam Patricia Appiagyei accused the President John Dramani Mahama administration of presiding over alleged “failure, scandal, and deepening suffering.”
She said, “Mr. Speaker, the recess had been overshadowed by the return of dumsor and growing anxieties of many Ghanaians.”
Madam Appiagyei also condemned the arrest of New Patriotic Party (NPP) members and supporters for alleged social media postings.
Citing the alleged detention of a party organiser by masked Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) officers for social media posts, she described it as “an assault on democracy.”
“Mr. Speaker, dumsor is back under a government that campaigned loudly on ending it,” the Deputy Minority Leader said, calling on the Energy Minister to present a “credible, costed, time-bound plan” to end load-shedding.
Madam Appiagyei, also the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Asokwa, also raised alarm over the Bank of Ghana’s (BoG) 2025 audited accounts, which she said showed a combined loss of GH¢34.9 billion and pushed negative equity to GH¢93.82 billion.
She questioned why “GH¢9.6 billion of reported income came from an alleged selling gold reserve, while the Bank allegedly paid GH¢14.61 billion in interest to commercial banks.”
“GH¢93.82 billion in negative equity at the institution that issues our currency is not a footnote. It is a crisis,” she said, demanding a joint hearing of the Finance and Economy Committees with the Governor present.
Madam Appiagyei further challenged the award of the Damang Mine lease to Engineers and Planners Company Limited, owned by President Mahama’s brother, Mr Ibrahim Mahama.
She called the process “a questionable transaction dressed in the language of due process,” valued at $600 million to $1 billion, and argued that presidential appointees carrying out the deal amounted to “delegation, not recusal.”
As a result, she called for a full parliamentary probe.
On foreign affairs, the Asokwa MP cited the detention of Mr Ohebe Kwame Frimpong, the Asante Akyem North Independent MP in the Netherlands, xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians in South Africa, the killing of eight Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso, and risks to Ghanaians in the Gulf amid Iran-Israel hostilities.
She said, “the Foreign Affairs Ministry acted only after sustaining Minority pressure and demanded an AU coalition strategy and a parliamentary-approved reintegration plan for returnees.”
The Deputy Minority Leader also described Ghana’s hosting of the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships in May as “an international embarrassment,” warning that “the same Ministry could not be trusted to manage the Black Stars’ 2026 World Cup campaign.
She demanded a full House hearing and a written World Cup preparedness plan.
The Deputy Minority Leader outlined eight immediate demands, including the release of those detained for political speech, a probe into the Damang Mine deal, and hearings on the BoG and athletics failures.
“Mr. Speaker, Parliament stands at the center of the nation’s life. When the Executive fails, Parliament must speak,” she said.
Responding in his opening remarks, Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader, declared that Ghana was experiencing its “fastest economic recovery in history” under President Mahama’s second administration.
He said the country had exited the IMF programme “with star-studded honours,” citing a rapid decline in inflation, a stable cedi, rebuilt international reserves, and a reduction in public debt from 65 per cent to 45 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within a year.
“Mr. Speaker, the fastest economic recovery in Ghana’s history has been recorded and achieved by version 2.0 of the Mahama-led government,” he said.
Mr Ayariga, also the Leader of Government Business in Parliament House, credited the Finance Ministry under Dr. Ato Forson and the BoG for steering the recovery through a programme he said had been “badly bruised” by the previous administration.
He, therefore, confirmed government had committed to a Policy Coordination Instrument [PCI] with the International Monetory Fund (IMF), a non-financial advisory tool allowing Ghana to design its own reforms while retaining international credibility.
“This masterstroke in economic diplomacy could not have been achieved without the backing of the President, whose mission this time around is legacy and respect,” he said.
The Majority Leader warned of a heavy legislative schedule, with government set to bring Constitutional Ammendment proposals based on the Constitution Review Committee’s work, covering both entrenched and non-entrenched provisions.
“Mr. Speajer, in total; 48 bills are scheduled, including the Cyber Security Authority and Data Protection Bills, alongside 26 legislative instruments and numerous committees’ reports and site visits,” said on the Floor of the House.
Mr Ayariga celebrated Ghana’s jump to 39th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index as “a profound democratic resurrection” under the NDC administration.
He defended the judiciary against recent criticism and urged consistency and respect for due process.
With the IMF bailout ended, he urged Parliament to scrutinise spending to ensure funds were invested in productive sectors.
Mr Ayariga, also the NDC MP for Bawku Central, called for enforcement of local content policies, an end to smuggling, and tax reforms to protect domestic industry.
He announced that the government’s 24-Hour Economy programme would be accelerated to create jobs for the youth.
On the detention of MP Ohene Kwame Frimpong in the Netherlands over a US extradition request, Mr Ayariga urged restraint and respect for the presumption of innocence.
“No Parliament can operate without corporation and collaboration.
“History will judge this Ninth Parliament not by the volume of our arguments but by the quality of our contributions to national progress,” he said.
On his part, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, struck a more measured tone, assuring the public that the House would handle the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025 in a manner that was “just, pragmatic and consensual.”
He said the relevant Committee had held public hearings and stakeholder engagements and urged it to present its report for passage before the end of the Meeting.
“We don’t decree laws, we pass laws that are acceptable by our people,” he stated appealing to activists to factor that into their criticism of Parliament.
The Bill was among several reintroduced measures, including the Constitution of the Government Bill, Parliamentary Transition Bill, and Parliament Bill, which the Speaker said must be processed speedily and transparently.
Mr Bagbin also announced that Ghana’s Parliament will host the first-ever African Family Values and Sovereignty Conference from Wednesday, June 3 to Friday, June 5, 2026.
He described it as an event to “celebrate and preserve shared African cultural beauty, values and sovereignty,” with President Mahama expected to attend the opening.
On the arrest of MPs, the Speaker clarified that security agencies did not need his permission but must inform him of the circumstances and allegations so he could determine if parliamentary privilege applied.
“Let us pursue our debates with civility to enhance national unity,” he urged, calling on MPs to be punctual, disciplined, and fully engaged given the heavy workload ahead.
Parliament adjourned on Friday, March 27 for the Easter break and now faces a session likely to be defined by debates over economic management, governance, and social policy.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade
Elsie Appiah-Osei