Parliament will be responsive to needs of public — Speaker

The Speaker Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, has promised Ghanaians a more responsive legislature that will focus on the needs of the people.

Speaking to journalist in Accra yesterday, the Speaker spelt out a new vision of cooperation and accountability the House intended to pursue under his leadership.

The press interaction was the first time in many years under the Fourth Republican Constitution.

He hinted that similar interactions would be held at the regional and district levels to deepen the parliamentary democracy the country was practising.

Speaking on ways to strengthen Parliament with the new vision, Prof. Oquaye promised a leadership of accountability in Parliament.

"We will insist that Parliament can enquire into anything and ensure accountability. Whether it is sports or something else, nobody can stop the people of Ghana from knowing what is happening," he said.

He promised that every step necessary would be taken to ensure the House was accountable to the people of Ghana.

Accountability

The second arm of government has, over the years, come under serious criticism for failing to keep the Executive in check.

There have also been a series of bribery and corruption allegations over the years that have threatened to injure the credibility and reputation of the legislative body.

But the Speaker explained that the many years of military takeovers had only weakened Parliament and it was just trying to re-establish itself.

“Anytime there is a coup, the arm of government that is disbanded is Parliament. The Executive remains intact, even if it is under military rule. The Judiciary also remains intact,” he stated.

He asked for more assistance, constructive criticisms and suggestions that would make Parliament stronger, adding:  "It is society that will empower Parliament, so that Parliament will serve society," he stated.

Prof. Oquaye said there was the need for Parliament to have a new chamber and a well-resourced library that would help the House to function better.

He did not understand why documents on the Gold Coast were not available in Ghana's Parliament, even though the same documents could be found in the Legislative Council in the UK.

Commendation

The Deputy Majority Leader, Ms Adwoa Safo, applauded the move by the Speaker to make Parliament more accessible to the media and the people.

"We cannot be seen to be doing our work well without engaging the media," she said.

For his part, the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, also commended the Speaker for opening himself up to the media, adding: "So far we are encouraged by his leadership and will try to build consensus at all times.”