A proposal by Minority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, for the establishment of a dedicated hospital for Members of Parliament (MPs) and the construction of a new parliamentary chamber has been met with opposition from MP for Bawku Central and Majority leader, Mahama Ayariga.
The issue arose during the swearing-in of the Parliamentary Service Board on Monday, March 17, where Afenyo-Markin suggested that lawmakers needed a specialized healthcare facility to cater to their medical needs.
He further revived the controversial debate on the need for a new parliamentary chamber, arguing that both initiatives were necessary to improve the working conditions of MPs.
However, Mahama Ayariga rejected the proposals, citing Ghana’s struggling economy as a reason why such projects would be unjustifiable at this time.
He insisted that given the pressing economic challenges facing the country, a new chamber and a hospital for MPs were not priorities.
Mr Afenyo-Markin’s call for a new chamber reignited an old debate that was widely criticised by the public when it was first proposed in 2019.
At the time, citizens and civil society groups vehemently opposed the idea, arguing that Parliament should focus on pressing national issues rather than self-serving infrastructure projects.
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