Parliamentary forum at Wa

 Wa (Upper West), 29th April ?99 ?

 All senior officers within the security services and public agencies are required by law to declare their assets within six months of assuming office, Mr A.S.K. Bagbin, Chairman of Parliamentary Select Committee on Legal, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, has stated.

Mr Bagbin said district chief executives, member secretaries of district and metropolitan assemblies, presiding members, members of tender boards and the chairmen of public tribunals should all declare their assets as stipulated under the new Public Office Holders and Assets Declaration Act.

"The law is very wide and covers even inherited properties, shares, bonds and even liabilities," he said at the eighth Parliamentary forum at Wa on Wednesday.

Mr Bagbin, who is also MP for Nadowli North, said forced marriages, customary and ritual servitude, and other acts, which degrade the human person are now "high crimes" punishable by imprisonment under the criminal code.

Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for South Tongu, advised the electorate not to misconstrue the inability of the media to feature contributions by MPs as non- performance.

"There is seniority in parliament, and preference is always given to the front benchers and ranking members of the committee.

"All MPs are doing their best, because much of the work of parliament goes on at the committee level'' he added.

Mr Albert Ken Dapaah, Minority spokesman on Mines and Energy and MP for Afigya Sekyere West, commended the government for extending electricity to the rural areas.

He, however, said the government must do more by raising the income level of the people to enable them pay for the power they consume.

The issues raised by the audience included parliamentary walk-outs, legislative and executive instruments, revoking the mandate of non- performing MPs by their constituents and the disbursement to district assembly members of a share of the common fund as is being done for MPs.

GRi?/