National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has acknowledged the increasing apprehension about a decline in the standard of representation in Ghana's Parliament.

During an appearance on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, November 16, the former NDC General Secretary affirmed his alignment with the perception that there has been a noticeable shift in how individuals perceive and approach parliamentary roles.

He highlighted the transformation from the traditional view of parliament as a platform for serving citizens to a more contemporary perspective where people view it as an investment.

“It is true that the quality of representation has declined, and it is not just an opinion; there is one survey report that has cited what the speakers have been talking about,” stated Asiedu Nketia.

The National Chairman of the NDC pointed out a crucial factor contributing to this decline, emphasising the negative impact of the increasing monetization of politics.

He added that in the past, individuals were driven to enter parliament by a genuine passion to serve the nation. However, the current scenario paints a different picture, with individuals now viewing parliamentary positions as a strategic investment opportunity.

“One of the key causes has been the overmonetization of politics; in the past, people went to parliament out of a passion to serve the nation. Now people go to parliament as a means of investment. Some just want a service passport to do their business.”

Asiedu Nketia advocated for a collaborative effort to overturn this trend, stressing the necessity of returning to the values of authentic public service that were once synonymous with Ghana’s Parliament.

However, he acknowledged the difficulty in implementing criteria, particularly educational qualifications, for political parties to consider before approving an aspirant to contest a parliamentary seat.