News:
October 23, 2017
Former Majority leader and Second Deputy Speaker of the House, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has called on current leadership of the House to revive the practice where Parliament visited the various regions and held forums to explain workings of the House to Ghanaians.
He further pointed out that the media covering Parliament has a limited space to bring to Ghanaians up to speed everything taking place in the House, whiles majority of the media are interested in covering private businesses.
He urged MPs to encourage their constituents to come and observe public sittings in the public gallery of the House, to observe how Business in the House is conducted.
Parliament he said conducts its business in the open, the reason there is a public gallery for the public to observe meetings unlike a Cabinet meeting for the Executive arm of government.
Mr. Bagbin’s comments comes in the wake of the security in Parliament preventing a chief from Tamale North and his entourage to sit in the public gallery to observe the MP for Tamale North ask a question.
The Tamale North MP raised the issue on the floor of the House, seeking the attention of the leadership to address the issue.
The second Deputy Speaker praised the Tamale North MP for bringinga chief from his constituency to observe proceedings in the House, but advised that in the future MPs should get in touch with the Public Affairs department of the House.
The Speaker revealed that, efforts are being made for Parliament to sit late in the day, to allow Ghanaians observe proceedings in the House to understand and appreciate workings of Parliament.
By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com