News:
November 28, 2023
Chairman of the national Open Government Steering Committee, Yaw Osafo Maafo has expressed delight that his Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Alexander Akwasi Aquah is part of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) caucus in Parliament which was launched on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 by the Speaker at the Speaker’s conference Hall in Parliament.
According to him this would ensure that he is re-elected to come back to the next Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.
He further pointed out that he is happy the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Kingsford Sumana Bagbin is committed to getting the OGP work, and it is in the interest of Ghana to promote transparency adding that when Parliament takes the OGP seriously it would help the whole Country.
“We joined the OGP in 2011; we have developed four points action plan; we are in the process of developing the fifth one which should be outdoored by December this year”, he said.
The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a global effort to make governments better. it helps governments work with civil society to create action plans with concrete reforms. This model helps ensure citizens play a role in shaping and overseeing government.
The steering Committee chairman who was speaking a the launch further disclosed that OGP has a global membership of 77 with Africa having ten including Ghana. And in Ghana there are six metropolitan, municipal and district Assemblies who are members including Secondi Takoradi Metropolitan, Shama East, Ketu South, Anloga among others.
Again, Ghana’s OGP is governed by a twenty-member national steering committee, with membership drawn from relevant ministries, departments, agencies, civil society organizations and parliament with MPs who are party – Hon Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah and Ama Pomah Boateng.
The steering Committee which was commissioned in August 2012 is currently chaired by Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo and co-chaired by CSO representatives Ghana Integrity Initiative, and they meet quarterly to look at how they can improve transparency in many things, hence the launch of the caucus is an accomplishment which should be applauded by all.
Mr. Osafo Maafo disclosed that Ghana has been selected among seven countries in Africa to benefit from European support in the promotion of the OGP, and “this would earn us a little bit inflows to support our own activities, which we need badly”.
He assured that the establishment of the OGP caucus in Parliament would create space for political dialogue and open governance to better place parliament to play its oversight role.
“The National OGP Committee and the oversight role of Parliament is important for this Country; somebody should be overlooking the system and it is parliament that the constitution charges to do that; we are comfortable when you get involved, he added.
Meanwhile, the 10-member caucus includes;
1. Chairman Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah
2. Vice Chair Ama pomaa Boateng
3. Naa Momo Agnes Lartey –Member
4. Naa Odoley Rita Sowah—Member
5. Newman Dako –Member
6. Etse Kwame Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor -Member
7. Dr. Kingsley Nyarko-Member
8. Alexander Akwasi Acquah —Member
9. Professor Hamza Adam –Member
10. Adamu Suleman Sanid–Member
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com