Government Should Not Appoint MPs As Ministers Of State–Asabee
A National Chairman hopeful for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has stated that the time has come for the successive government to stop its continuous habit of appointing Members of Parliament (MPs) as the ministers of the state, saying that this is affecting democratic dispensation in the country.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
A National Chairman hopeful for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has stated that the time has come for the successive government to stop its continuous habit of appointing Members of Parliament (MPs) as the ministers of the state, saying that this is affecting democratic dispensation in the country.
According to him, the situation has been putting too many burdens on the MPs who happened to be appointed the ministers of the state, preventing the majority of them not to being more accessible, visible, and not responsible for their mandatory duties or activities in their constituencies.
He pointed out that this is also one of the contributory factors to the MPs appointed ministers losing their parliamentary seats in one term, stressing that it is time for the central government to do away with the practice of appointing MPs as the ministers.
To be factual in this argument, he explained that the MPs appointed ministers of the state sometimes lost focus on their mandatory jobs or had divided attention on their jobs, thereby preventing many of them to perform their functions effectively and efficiently.
"These MPs' mandatory functions and duties become double affecting them to represent the constituents well which makes many of the MPs lost their seats eventually in one term.
The former State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) boss stressed that it is high to charge or review the constitution which mandated that the MPs should be appointed the ministers of the state in the country.
"For instance when you are appointed minister of the state and in case you are traveling outside Ghana on the state official duty and on the way in the flight where you are and you receive distress call that there is a violent clash in your constituency and that the constituents want your presence there and you cannot return and go to attend them.
"...Here your constituents would be blaming you that we voted for you to serve them but you are telling us that you are going abroad on stats official duty because you are MP," Mr. Boateng complained.
In this case, Mr. Boateng who doubles as a former MP for Mfantsiman West constituency in the Central Region and Deputy Minister for Information and Media Relations said the constituents would lose hope in "you as their and in the next election they voted out ."
Speaking in an interview on Angel FM’s Anopa Bofo Morning on Thursday, June 23, 2022, stressed that it must be complete separation, in that, no minister will also be an MP and it’s nothing strange to us.
Elaborating on the other national matter of importance, Mr. Boateng stressed that it’s high time the government started sponsoring political parties.
According to him, when the activities of political parties, including campaigns and elections, are funded by the state, the incidence of monetization and corruption in elections would cease.
He also believes that this would help the right and qualified persons to be selected since vote-buying to win power can be minimized.
He pointed out that there must be a well-laid-out criterion for the initiative to work effectively so that people don’t circumvent or take advantage of the system.
"I said, “I think I agree with those who say that government should sponsor political parties…but there must be a criterion and you must meet the requirements.”
Explaining his viewpoint, he said that it is a debate that we must revisit and take a critical look at.
Stressing on the criteria, he told Nana Yaa Brefo that “there must be a limitation else everyone can go and create a political party just to take state funds.
He added that "We must find out how many votes you obtained in the election and there should be a threshold else three people can meet to form a party…”
He bemoaned monetization in elections saying that it becomes problematic when people with money sponsor politicians because interests would be at play in the end.
