The Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has called on the NDC government to submit all newly launched policies, including the 24-hour economy initiative, to Parliament for scrutiny, monitoring, and evaluation.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, the former Information Minister expressed worry over what he described as a growing trend of the government launching major programmes without presenting the necessary documentation to Parliament.
He said it is not the first time the NDC has launched a policy and failed to provide the details to Parliament, citing the instance of the One Million Coders programme, which he accused them of launching without bringing any document to parliament.
The Ranking Member on the Economy and Development Committee also referenced President Mahama’s recent announcement during his tour of the Bono Region that over 2,000 Ghanaians had been selected to travel abroad for work.
He said the president claimed the government had signed a contract to help more than 2,000 Ghanaians travel and work abroad, which he (Oppong Nkrumah) described as fine, but demanded that parliament must see the paperwork to understand the processes involved.
Oppong Nkrumah said while such initiatives may appear promising, Parliament must be allowed to perform its oversight role, explaining that one cannot keep launching programmes and avoid accountability.
After every launch, bring the document to Parliament. Let’s evaluate it, ask questions, and monitor progress. That’s how governance works, he added.
Touching specifically on the 24-hour Economy policy, which has now been officially launched, Mr. Nkrumah warned that failure to submit the full policy framework to Parliament could lead to doubts about the government’s transparency.
This 24-hour economy is very important. But without bringing the full document for monitoring, how can we hold them accountable? They want to avoid scrutiny, and that’s not right, he said.
He claimed the NDC has so far launched about six key policies since assuming office, but only one has been submitted to Parliament for review.
They passed the E-Levy at night—no public engagement. They launched the Adwumawura programme and still haven’t brought even a single page explaining what it entails. The National Apprenticeship Programme, the AGRAC Economic Transformation Agenda—same story. Where are the documents? he queried.
Meanwhile, the newly launched 24-hour Economy policy spans 283 pages and provides detailed plans for implementation and funding. It also signals a shift in focus—from merely keeping businesses open around the clock to addressing broader structural challenges in Ghana’s economy.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah urged the government not to repeat past mistakes.
We’re not saying don’t implement your programmes. Just do the right thing and bring them to Parliament. Let’s all work together in the interest of accountability and transparency, he stressed.
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