Our political desk has pored through 125 official reports of proceedings in Parliament in 2019 to bring you data on the performance of MPs on the floor of the House.
Your informative website does not claim this research is an exhaustive report on the contributions of MPs, as it does not include their performance at committee levels.
It is nearly impossible to track the work of MPs during committee sittings.
The research, however, tracks the number of questions, statements, and contributions made on the floor where final decisions, approvals and debates are settled.
The research also excludes leadership of the house as by their position, they are often given more opportunities to contribute. It also excludes the correction of the minutes.
The work is a quantitative study of MPs and does not venture into the quality of debates on the floor of Parliament.
Thanks to Parliament for making the Hansard and other important information about Parliament available on its website and taking steps to regularly update it.
Ghana’s 7th Parliament has 123 first-term MPs. Out of that figure, 63 NPP MPs contributed to debates on the floor, as against 39 NDC MPs in 2019.
A good number of 102 were able to catch the Speaker’s eye to either make a comment, statement or ask questions, leaving 21 ‘silent’ MPs.
Out of the 21 silent MPs, 19 of them are from the Majority( NPP) and two from the Minority (NDC) side of the house.
Find below the top 10 MPs from a total of 102 who were active during Parliamentary debates.
debates.
The NPP MP for Sekondi, Mercer, Andrew Kofi Egyapa topped the list of the first-term most vocal MPs with 108 contributions.
With a background in law, Mr Egyapa Mercer serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the Communications Committee.
Prior to his entry to Parliament, he worked as a Senior Associate of Acquah-Samson & Associates between 2004 and 2007, and subsequently acting Head/Legal for First Atlantic Bank.
He started his parliamentary ambitions in 2011 when he contested the Sekondi seat. However, he lost to the then incumbent Papa Owusu-Ankomah, who had been MP for Sekondi for 20 years.
He contested again in 2016 after Mr Owusu Ankomah decided to quit Parliament.
NDC MP, Dafeamekpor, K.E. Rockson-Nelson, came in second with 102 contributions, questions and statements.
Mr Dafeamepkor asked eight questions, presented four statements and 90 contributions.
With his background in law, Mr Defeamekpor is part of the Judiciary Committee and the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
Prior to entering Parliament, he worked as a tutor at the Nurses Training College in Ho between 2000 and 2002.
From there, he moved on to a managerial position at Sunlife Travel and Tours, where he worked as a General Manager from 2003 to 2009.
He worked his way up and became a senior associate at a private law firm, Hayibor, Djarbeng & Co, between 2010 to 2016.
NDC’s MP for Daboya-Mankarigu Constituency, Shaibu Mahama follows with 96 contributions on the floor of Parliament.
Also, with a background in law and business, Mr Mahama is on two committees– the Subsidiary Legislation Committee and the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
Prior to his election as a legislator, he worked as an accountant for the Ghana Breweries Limited from 1999 to 2000.
He moved up the ladder to become the Purchase-to-Pay Manager for Guinness Ghana Brewery Limited between 2003 to 2007.
He was an associate at Just King & Associate from 2010 to 2012 and then moved to the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority as its Legal Officer before being elected in 2016.
Noted for his energy and enthusiasm for mainstream media, Samuel Nartey George, NDC MP for Ningo-Prampram, was able to make 89 contributions.
With a background in Communication and law, Mr Sam George serves on the Public Accounts Committee and Communications Committee.
Prior to the 2016 elections, he took on one of his party’s big wigs–E.T. Mensah, the then incumbent and defeated him in the party’s primaries before beating the NPP’s Sylvester Mensah in the main election.
E.T Mensah has been one of the longest-serving members of Parliament. The duo locked horns in what was popularly referred to as ‘David and Goliath’ fight to select the NDC parliamentary candidate for the 2016 election.
Prior to that, Mr George worked as an Assistant Director at the Office of the Head of Civil Service from 2010 to 2014. When he left the civil service, he went to the Office of the President as a Communication Specialist from 2014 to 2016.
The Kumbugu Member of Parliament, Ras Mubarak joined a list of first-term MPs who added their voice to debates on the floor of the House.
Ras Mubarak made 78 contributions in Parliament within the specified time frame.
He serves as a member of the Public Accounts and Communications Committee.
Before entering Parliament, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority from 2013 to 2016. An earlier attempt to enter Parliament in 2012 as the legislator for Ablekuma North did not go well. He lost to the NPP’s Justice Joe Appiah.
Coming in sixth place is Yapei/Kusawgu MP, John Abdulai Jinapor with a total of 77 contributions.
The Deputy Minister of Power during the Mahama administration serves on two committees–the Finance Committee and the Mines and Energy Committee
He became the spokesperson for the then former Vice-President John Mahama between 2009 to 2013 before he was elevated to the position of a deputy minister (2013-2016) when Mahama won the 2012 presidential election.
Before taking the political roles, he served as the General Manager of Asiedu Fisheries from 2006 to 2008.
The MP for Gomoa West, Alexander Kwodwo Kom Abban, who spoke 73 times in Parliament is 7th on the list.
He also doubles as the Deputy Communications Minister.
With a background in law, Mr Abban serves on the Public Accounts and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committees.
He was a lecturer at the Ghana School of Law and GIMPA between 2009 and 2015.
He became a partner of the Cardinal Law group in 2015 before the people of Gomoa West elected him as their lawmaker in 2016.
Eighth on the list is MP for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye. The newly appointed Deputy Health Minister is a respected voice on health issues on the floor.
During the period under review, Dr Oko Boye spoke 50 times. The medical doctor serves on the Health and Government Assurance committees of the house.
Prior to this, he worked as a medical officer and house officer for the Ghana Health Service between 2009 to 2016.
MP for Bongo constituency, Edward Abambire Bawa spoke 42 times on the floor of Parliament and placed ninth on the list of active first-term MPs.
He serves on three committees: Mines and Energy, Privileges and Poverty Reduction Strategy committees.
Before winning the Bongo seat in 2016, he was the Head of Communications at the Ministry of Petroleum from 2010 to 2016.
Before that job, he worked as the Administrative Manager of the Ghana Football Association from 2003 to 2006.
He then became the Project Analyst for AKK Risk Management Consulting Limited from 2007 to 2009.
Last on the list of 10 vocal new entrants to Parliament is the MP for Asene-Akroso-Manso Constituency, Kwame George Aboagye. He spoke 39 times on the floor.
The lawyer also serves on two committees–the Lands and Forestry Committee and Members of Holding offices of Profit Committee.
Before he became a lawmaker, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Geospence Ghana Limited from 2008 to 2016.
Check out the performance of all 124 first-term MPs in Parliament for the year under review.
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