Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, Senior Advisor to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), has expressed support for the Constitution Review Commission’s (CRC) proposal to prohibit Members of Parliament (MPs) from holding ministerial positions.
The CRC is advocating a clearer separation of powers between the Executive and Parliament, arguing that preventing MPs from doubling as ministers would enhance parliamentary oversight and reduce conflicts of interest in governance.
Speaking in an interview with Channel One TV, Dr. Thompson described the current arrangement as problematic and endorsed the CRC’s recommendation.
“Yeah, [I agree], it creates a lot of issues. There was one case where the person was an MP, a pastor, and also a minister, possibly a board member. And they were all overwhelmed by these things. Separating MP and Minister roles is a step forward,” he said.
Dr. Thompson noted that assigning multiple roles to individuals has contributed to inefficiencies within government, limiting its overall effectiveness.
“We have come face-to-face with numerous inefficiencies in government; if tackled, it can open up space for us to do so many things,” he added.
He emphasized that addressing such structural challenges would significantly improve governance and enable the state to better deliver on its development priorities.
