Minister for Local Government Mahama Ayariga has explained that his decision to leave Parliament and join the Executive was a personal choice, motivated largely by his desire to help address challenges within Ghana’s local governance system.

The former Majority Leader said he believed his work in Parliament had reached a relatively stable point, making a return to the Executive a more meaningful way to deploy his experience and expertise.

According to Mr Ayariga, Parliament had already completed several key responsibilities, including the approval of government nominees, passage of major budgets and consideration of judicial appointments.

He said remaining in Parliament would largely involve waiting for major annual activities such as the presentation of the national budget and the State of the Nation Address, whereas the Executive required sustained attention and more intensive work.

Mr Ayariga said he was therefore eager to make his experience available to the government, although President John Dramani Mahama was initially reluctant to release him from Parliament.

“I was happy to go to local government because I have always felt that that’s really where we need a lot of fixing,” he said.