By Alex Boye
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikwei Central, in the Greater Accra Region, Patrick Yaw Boamah, has underscored the need for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to urgently brief Parliament on issues affecting Ghanaians in South Africa.
The MP argued that lawmakers should not rely on social media updates for matters of national importance.
According to the Law maker, the standard parliamentary process for obtaining responses from ministers is often too slow for urgent situations, particularly those that could have implications for Ghana’s diplomatic relations.
Speaking to journalists yesterday, Mr. Boamah said the Foreign Affairs Minister should appear before Parliament to provide lawmakers with firsthand updates on developments involving Ghanaians in South Africa.
He cautioned that Parliament could not afford delays if there was a risk of the situation escalating.
“Are we going to wait till the unfortunate happens, that diplomatic relationship between South Africa and us is severed? No, we don’t want that to happen,” he stated.
Mr. Boamah also criticised the minister’s reliance on social media for updates, urging him instead to address Parliament directly.
“So if the minister is in a country, like he always rushes to the House to brief us on visas and what have you, he should come to the floor. He should stop tweeting and posting. We are the people’s representatives,” he said.
The Okaikwei Central MP further stressed that Members of Parliament have a responsibility to represent and support their constituents, including those living abroad.
“The people in South Africa, they have reps in the chamber. If the person is from Takoradi, it’s the person’s MP. If the person is from Abeka, it’s the person’s MP,” he noted.
Mr. Boamah added that a parliamentary briefing would enable lawmakers to engage affected constituents and contribute to efforts aimed at resolving any challenges they may be facing.
“So we’ll find a way to even reach out to our constituents out there to help solve some of the matters that we are being confronted with,” he said.
