News:
June 17, 2013
A three-day capacity building workshop for members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, has been held in Koforidua to enhance their performance in ensuring democratic governance.
It was also to enable STAR-Ghana, who sponsored the workshop, to set out its collaboration with Parliament and the leadership of the Select Committee to respond and outline its vision to members (Committee).
The theme for the workshop was: “Strengthening the Committee for enhanced Parliamentary Oversight”.
In attendance were Mr Joe Ghartey, second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and Dr Dominic Ayine, Deputy Attorney-General.
In his opening address, Mr Ghartey indicated that the Select Committee was doing less than it was supposed to do as their mandate.
He said the Committee should have guidelines to enable them check and rectify the constitutional and legal issues concerning any bill that passed through Parliament.
“All bills that come to Parliament should be copied to this particular Committee to thoroughly look at the legality of the bills and to address all unconstitutionalities,” he stressed.
Mr Ghartey charged the members to examine critically their jurisdiction and play them appropriately in order for their work to be more relevant.
Mr Alfred Agbesi, Chairman of the Committee, noted that there was the need for a paradigm shift to make the Committee active in performing its legal and constitutional mandate.
He expressed gratitude to STAR-Ghana for their support in empowering the Committee to live its mandate for the good of the nation.
Mrs Mary Tobin Osei, Operations Manager of STAR-Ghana, said the overall objective of the organization was to increase the accountability and responsiveness of government, traditional authorities and private enterprises to Ghanaian citizens.
She said the organisation would engage technical assistants, who would support the Committee, to implement a two-plan to support its work after the workshop.
GNA