Parliament collaborates with Star Ghana to strengthen oversight role
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, has called for support for the Parliamentary Service for the development of competent and professional staff with the capacity to handle the challenges posed by the loss of institutional memory.
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He said the loss of institutional memory had been occasioned by the high attrition of Members of Parliament (MPs).
The Speaker made the call at the launch of a partnership programme between Parliament and Star Ghana in Accra last Friday.
Under the programme, Star Ghana is to support nine committees of Parliament and the Parliamentary Service to strengthen Parliament's role as a key oversight institution over the Executive.
Star Ghana will support the beneficiary committees and the Parliamentary Service with GHC2.4 million through grants and technical assistance.
It will also strengthen the capacity of the Parliamentary Service, particularly the clerks and research officers, for them to provide quality support to the committees of Parliament.
Star Ghana will also support the leadership of Parliament to implement actions aimed at addressing strategic and systemic constraints to Parliament's effectiveness.
Benefits
Launching the programme, Mr Adjaho said he was convinced that the partnership would benefit Parliament and Star Ghana.
He said it was becoming difficult for developing democracies, particularly those in Africa, to adequately meet the financial resources required for effective oversight and scrutiny of governments.
In that regard, he said, any initiative in support of the work of Parliament should be embraced.
"I, therefore, have no doubt that the partnership we are launching today will further enhance the capacity of MPs to effectively scrutinise the government,” he said.
The Programme Manager of Star Ghana, Mr Ibrahim Tanko Amidu, said the support was to help Parliament fulfill its mandate, particularly in ensuring greater transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the delivery of public goods and services.
Present at the ceremony were the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Alfred Agbesi, and the chairmen and ranking members of the beneficiary committees.
