A new proposal by Parliament’s Business Committee to limit daily proceedings to five hours is sparking debate in the House, as legislators weigh the health of Members of Parliament (MPs) against their critical oversight responsibilities.
Majority Leader and Chairman of the Business Committee, Mr Mahama Ayariga, has defended the move, saying the time allocations are necessary to reduce the physical strain on MPs, who often sit late into the night. He said the new structure would prioritise both productivity and wellbeing.
“This is not about suppressing anyone,” Mr Ayariga told the House during debate on the Week 8 Business Statement. “It’s about protecting our health. We can’t keep sitting until 10 or 11 pm. I received desperate messages from colleagues during the Scholarships Authority Bill debate—begging for relief.”
The revised sitting structure, according to the Business Committee, would allocate:
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1 hour for asking and answering parliamentary questions
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1 hour for reading statements (limited to three per day)
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3 hours for core government business
This framework aims to keep total sitting time at a maximum of five hours daily, in line with Standing Orders 77(2), 94, and 216.
But the new approach is not without criticism. Professor Kingsley Nyarko, MP for Kwadaso, raised concerns about whether the time restrictions could hinder Parliament’s core function of holding the Executive to account.
“I understand the need for efficiency, but let’s not do so at the expense of oversight,” he said. “Our constitutional duty is to ensure transparency and accountability, and that takes time.”
The tension reflects a broader challenge facing Ghana’s legislature: finding the balance between streamlining parliamentary processes and maintaining robust scrutiny of executive action.
Observers say the conversation is likely to continue, as Parliament prepares for a heavy legislative calendar ahead of the 2025 budget review and critical bills such as the Free SHS Act and the new Mining Bill.
