The Colosseum: Ghana’s Parliament Now Embroiled in a Clash of Egos?
Dear Nyaaba,
Ghana’s Parliament, once envisioned as a bastion of democracy and a crucible for national progress, has increasingly become a theatre of absurdity, where personal egos clash more fiercely than competing ideologies.
In recent times, the august house has descended into a gladiatorial arena, a veritable Colosseum, where decorum is sacrificed on the altar of political brinkmanship, and the pursuit of power eclipses the pursuit of national interest.
Once upon a time, parliamentary debates were defined by intellectual rigor, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to governance. Today, we bear witness to a shameful degeneration, where the chamber is transformed into a battleground of verbal brawls, petty squabbles, and, on occasion, outright physical confrontations. The sight of elected representatives lunging at each other like common street brawlers is a spectacle that should send shivers down the spine of every well-meaning Ghanaian. Have we truly fallen this low?
At the heart of this chaos lies an insatiable thirst for dominance. The legislature, meant to be an independent arm of government, now appears shackled by partisan puppeteers, pulling strings behind the scenes to settle personal scores rather than deliberate on policies that would uplift the ordinary Ghanaian. What should have been a marketplace of ideas has turned into a toxic pit of grandstanding, where MPs seem more interested in scoring cheap political points than engaging in substantive discussions.
Where is the statesmanship? Where is the dignity? Where is the leadership?
In a nation grappling with economic hardship, failing infrastructure, and a restless youth bulging under the weight of unemployment, Parliament should be the epicenter of solutions, not a circus of misplaced priorities. Yet, what do we see? Hours wasted on procedural gymnastics, endless walkouts, and disgraceful tantrums that make a mockery of governance. Instead of rising above partisan bickering, our lawmakers appear content with deepening the chasm of division, reducing parliamentary sittings to spectacles of pettiness.
And the Speaker of Parliament, the supposed custodian of order and impartiality, is now himself at the center of the storm. Caught in the vortex of this ego-driven tussle, he straddles a precarious line between statesmanship and partisanship. Rather than calming tensions, the leadership of the House sometimes appears to fuel the flames of discord, leaving Ghanaians to wonder: Is Parliament still serving the people, or has it become a personal fiefdom for a select few?
If Ghana’s democracy is to endure, its legislative arm must be reclaimed from the abyss of arrogance and the chokehold of political vanity. The people did not send representatives to Accra to indulge in theatrical bravado; they sent them to work, to legislate, to provide oversight, and to steer the country toward prosperity.
This nation deserves better. Ghana’s Parliament must remember that history does not look kindly on leaders who toyed with the people’s trust. If they continue down this perilous path, they may well earn the dishonorable distinction of being the generation that turned the temple of democracy into a Colosseum of egos.
The Honourrebel Siriguboy
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