It is emerging from the corridors of Parliament that the Legislature is extremely broke that it cannot even convene lawmakers to perform their oversight functions.
Ghana’s Parliament serves as the legislative body of the country, responsible for making laws, representing the public, and overseeing the executive arm of Government.
However, performance of these functions, THE CUSTODIAN gathered, is becoming increasingly difficult as the House finds it difficult to even pay sitting allowances to Members of Parliament (MPs) during committee meetings as well as obligatory allowances to members of staff.
This financial setback has invariably affected the resumption of parliament from recess, as the House, according to insider sources, is already not receiving enough cash from government to service its debts.
Consequently, urgent business in Parliament including the repeal of the controversial Legislative Instrument (L.I. 2462), which has been widely criticised for enabling mining activities in forest reserves, will be in limbo.
This dire financial quandary, this paper further gleaned, compelled the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to postpone indefinitely, resumption of Parliament, which was to resume on 14th October, 2025.
Speaker Bagbin in an official notification issued on Monday, 6th October, announced the postponement of the commencement of the Third Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
He explained that the decision was taken due to circumstances beyond his control.
“I, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, hereby give notice that the commencement of the Third Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic is deferred until further notice due to circumstances beyond my control,” the notice stated.
Even though Speaker Bagbin attributed the postponement to “circumstances beyond”, his control, other bigwigs in Parliament said the put-off was due to serious financial constraints.
Government’s promise to repeal L.I 2462
Speaking during President John Mahama’s engagement with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the galamsey crisis on Friday, October 3, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, announced that Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2501 will soon be laid before Parliament to revoke the controversial L.I. 2462.
He stressed that stressed that legal and regulatory reforms are central to the government’s efforts to curb illegal mining.
“In terms of the legal steps, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has underscored the fact that legal and regulatory reform is at the heart of what we are doing in order to change the narrative about illegal mining,” he said.
The Attorney-General explained that the current Minerals and Mining Act permits licences and leases across the entire territory of Ghana, including forest reserves, territorial waters, and exclusive economic zones and therefore will need amendment in Parliament.
