Parliamentarians need research officers-Business executive

Kumasi, March 6, GNA - Mr Opoku-Agyemang Prempeh, Managing Director of Lakayana Company, a revenue generation and debt collection firm, has appealed to the government to seriously consider engaging the services of research officers for parliamentarians.

He said this was crucial since the lack of such research officers renders work of the MPs very tedious.

Mr Prempeh made the appeal in an interview with the GNA in Kumasi at the weekend on measures that could be adopted to facilitate work of MPs and enhance the country's democracy.

He noted that such research officers would not only investigate matters of interest to the constituents and national issues but would also serve as a liaison between the constituents and the MPs. "This way, the MPs will have a better picture of the needs of their constituents and work assiduously towards addressing them", he added. Mr Prempeh also disagreed with the notion that the number of ministerial appointments was just too high.

"Democracy is expensive and society is dynamic and for that matter, the number of ministers required in the days gone by cannot be said to be the same for the present", he stated.

He was of the conviction that since the economy had expanded coupled with a large population and social problems it is prudent to have a large number of ministries to deal with such schedules. Mr Prempeh was, however, not happy that the government continues to import crude oil for the country instead of exploring various sources to generate motor oil.

He said since the nation cannot continue to import oil, it is high time the government injected funds into the exploration and development of vegetable oil into diesel and other lubricants. Mr Prempeh said the country abounds in various vegetables, which could be developed into bio-diesel if only thoroughly researched and given assistance from the government.