THE Parliament of Ghana is an indispensable institution which must be revered and protected in all aspects of national endeavours.
Due to its peculiar nature of making laws and ensuring probity and accountability, there is the need for the citizenry, especially those holding public office to accord it the needed respect and dignity in the performance of its statutory function.
Failure to do this, amounts to disobedience to authority since the legislature is one of the three arms of governance in any democratic country – the other two arms are the Executive and the Judiciary.
Therefore, for the Speaker of Parliament to complain about the reluctance of some Ministers of State to appear before the House to answer questions relating to their ministries is an indictment on office holders.
According to our Parliamentary correspondent, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Paul Okoh, had cause to complain that an urgent question to the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, had been rescheduled for answering nine times and that the question was losing its urgency.
The question has to do with how people affected by the cyanide spillage from Newmont Ghana Limited operations, benefited from the payment of GH¢7 million compensation paid by the company.
The Times believes that since the convention of the House makes it possible for Deputy Ministers to answer questions in the absence of Ministers, it will be appropriate that the Deputies stand in for their Ministers if they are not immediately available or are engaged in official assignment outside the country.
It is an established tenet of democracy that, it is through question and answer time in Parliament that Members of Parliament, who are the representatives of the people hold the Executive to account for its stewardship.
Therefore, failure of ministers to respond to questions in Parliament negates the cardinal principle of accountability and transparency that democracy stands for.
In this particular instance, it was explained that the minister had travelled outside the country on an urgent national assignment. If it were so, what stopped the deputy minister from performing that function?
Even though this is not the first time a Minister had failed to appear before the House to answer question since 1992 when parliamentary business started, it is necessary for lessons to be learnt in order not to repeat the mistake of the past.
The respect that people have for Parliament should be maintained through prompt response to invitations that border on national affairs.
While we are at it, sight should not be lost over the lack of punctuality and a sense of business on the part of some parliamentarians, which the Speaker had had cause to comment on at regular intervals.
All those who have business in parliament, be it ministers or MPs, should accord it the necessary respect and dignity befitting the House.
We also condemn the lack cooperation among parliamentarians which compelled the Speaker to walk out of the House during last Friday’s sitting.
Due to its peculiar nature of making laws and ensuring probity and accountability, there is the need for the citizenry, especially those holding public office to accord it the needed respect and dignity in the performance of its statutory function.
Failure to do this, amounts to disobedience to authority since the legislature is one of the three arms of governance in any democratic country – the other two arms are the Executive and the Judiciary.
Therefore, for the Speaker of Parliament to complain about the reluctance of some Ministers of State to appear before the House to answer questions relating to their ministries is an indictment on office holders.
According to our Parliamentary correspondent, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Paul Okoh, had cause to complain that an urgent question to the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, had been rescheduled for answering nine times and that the question was losing its urgency.
The question has to do with how people affected by the cyanide spillage from Newmont Ghana Limited operations, benefited from the payment of GH¢7 million compensation paid by the company.
The Times believes that since the convention of the House makes it possible for Deputy Ministers to answer questions in the absence of Ministers, it will be appropriate that the Deputies stand in for their Ministers if they are not immediately available or are engaged in official assignment outside the country.
It is an established tenet of democracy that, it is through question and answer time in Parliament that Members of Parliament, who are the representatives of the people hold the Executive to account for its stewardship.
Therefore, failure of ministers to respond to questions in Parliament negates the cardinal principle of accountability and transparency that democracy stands for.
In this particular instance, it was explained that the minister had travelled outside the country on an urgent national assignment. If it were so, what stopped the deputy minister from performing that function?
Even though this is not the first time a Minister had failed to appear before the House to answer question since 1992 when parliamentary business started, it is necessary for lessons to be learnt in order not to repeat the mistake of the past.
The respect that people have for Parliament should be maintained through prompt response to invitations that border on national affairs.
While we are at it, sight should not be lost over the lack of punctuality and a sense of business on the part of some parliamentarians, which the Speaker had had cause to comment on at regular intervals.
All those who have business in parliament, be it ministers or MPs, should accord it the necessary respect and dignity befitting the House.
We also condemn the lack cooperation among parliamentarians which compelled the Speaker to walk out of the House during last Friday’s sitting.
