Parliament to review appointments of MPs as heads of institutions
Mr Alban Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, has announced plans to review various rules in Parliament to impede the Executive from appointing Members of Parliament as heads of state institutions.
The Speaker lamented that the lawmakers appointed to head institutions could not discharge their legislative functions.
“Don’t allow money and political patronage to take over your minds. That is one thing we intend to fight within these two and a half years. So that by the time we get to 2025, it would be a different ball game.
“The governing party always has a lot of Members in Parliament brought through political patronage,” Mr Bagbin said when he swore in seven new executives of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Accra.
The seven-member Parliamentary Press Corps executives are Mr Simon Agianab, Dean; Mr Stephen Odoi-Larbi, Vice-Dean; Mr Kwaku Sakyi-Danso, Secretary; Mr Francis Ekow Annan, Deputy Secretary; Ms Yesmeen Abubakar Tetteh, Treasurer; Ms Deborah Dzievenu, Deputy Treasurer and Mr Ibrahim Alhassan, Organising Secretary.
They were led by the Speaker to take their oath of office.
They are being made board chairs, CEO of some institutions, and Members of Parliament. So, how can you come and criticise the same thing you are involved in? he quizzed.
Mr Bagbin also announced plans to review the Standing Orders of Parliament to suit the current hung Parliament, which he admitted was posing a challenge to proceedings.
He said: “Because of the new structure we have today, which you refer to as the hung Parliament, the rules we have now are structured for a majoritarian Parliament, which we do not have now. We are trying to tweak the rules a bit to incorporate some rules that can help us manage a situation like this. It has been difficult to manage this, Parliament.”
The eighth Parliament, since its commencement in 2021, has witnessed chaotic scenes due to its hung nature as both the Majority and Minority have 137 members each, with one Independent Member of Parliament.
Mr Bagbin in his quest to leave a legacy after his tenure said a review needed to be carried out on the Standing Orders of the House to prevent such chaotic scenes and smooth decision-making.
On February 25, 2022, the Parliamentary Press Corps held an election to elect new members to steer the affairs of the group in Parliament House for the next three years.