Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, has urged on Members of Parliament (MPs) and Parliamentary Service staff to show leadership by declaring their assets in accordance with the Assets Declaration Law, 1998 (Act 550).
MPs would then be able to hold members of the Executive and other public officials accountable, he added.
As a result, Mr Bagbin said he would begin conversations with the House leadership and other state actors to put in place procedures and processes to guarantee that all MPs and Parliamentary employees adhered to the asset declaration regulations.
“This is also to ensure that members and staff of Parliament honour their tax obligations on time and all outstanding issues of over-payment and under-payment reported on by the Auditor-General from 2001 to 2008 and 2009 to 2016 retired and settled without any further delay by all affected MPs and former MPs,” he said.
Mr Bagbin explained that the initiative was part of measures to strengthen Parliament’s oversight responsibility, allowing it to hold the government and state institutions accountable to the people for the power, trust, resources, and hope reposed in them, during the opening session of the second meeting of the eighth Parliament on Tuesday.
While the Executive branch of government and state institutions are held accountable for their stewardship of the country, he believes Parliament should be open, transparent, and accountable to the people.
“As the saying goes, charity begins at home. As the constitutional and legal head of the institution of Parliament, the spokesperson, the arbitrator and guarantor of its authority, independence and privileges, I pledge to lead this efforts by example,” he stated.
Strengthening relationship
Mr Bagbin also pledged that Parliament will continue to improve and broaden the existing positive relationship it has with the judiciary.
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“As arms of government, Ghanaians expect nothing from us but to see us work in harmony for the betterment of their lives and the development of the country,” he said.
In light of the Supreme Court’s and other courts of competent jurisdiction’s recent rulings and instructions in a number of cases that had an impact on how the House did its activity, the Speaker called for a review of the House’s composition and processes.
He stated, “The earlier we do that, the better for all of us and the country.”
In that sense, Mr Bagbin stated that the House had decided to establish a platform for its academic and legal and governance partners to lead a more focused and detailed discussion of the implications and effects of court decisions on Parliamentary practice and procedure, as well as the relationship between the Judiciary and the Legislature.
“Such a national discourse will provide valuable inputs to enable Parliament to revise and refine our rules, laws and Standing Orders to comply with the provisions of the 1992 Constitution,” he said.
Assets declaration/borrowing
In his statement on the topic of asset declaration raised by the Speaker, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu advocated for a re-examination of the constitutional clause on asset declaration to include some institutions and officers who were not obliged to reveal their assets.
Members of the Council of State, the Special Prosecutor’s Office, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), and metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs) were cited.
Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, welcomed his colleagues return from break and urged the House to examine topics of public concern.
Excessive borrowing by the government, he added, had loaded the country with massive debts and left little money for subsequent administrations when they took power.
SOURCE: GRAPHIC ONLINE
