Public participation in parliamentary governance improves administration effectiveness – Lydia Alhassan

Lydia Seyram Alhassan, the First Deputy Majority Chief Whip, says public participation in the Parliamentary governance system of a country improves the effectiveness of governance.

That, she explained as involving citizens in governance policy formulation and decision-making processes, helped them collaborate to make Members of Parliament (MPs) accountable as well as scrutinise their works.

Madam Alhassan, also, a New Patriotic Party MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, said on Wednesday at an Educational Forum for the University of Ghana Political Science Students’ Association.

She spoke on the topic: “How can the public contribute to the parliamentary governance system.”

The day’s meeting was organised by Parliament’s Department of Public Engagement as part of efforts to bring Parliament closer to the people.

Madam Alhassan urged the students to contribute to Ghana’s parliamentary governance system to ensure accountability.

“Collaborate in your small way to promote transparency, accountability and effectiveness in any modern government,” she said.

Ibrahim Mutala Mohammed, a National Democratic Congress MP for Tamale Central, advised the students to focus on what they wanted to achieve in life.

He said having a focus would allow them to plan their lives well in advance to avoid regrets later.

Margaret Donkor, the Deputy Director of the Department of Public Engagement, Parliament, narrated the history of Parliament as far back as 1850, Ghana, then the Gold Coast, was given its own Legislative Council to advise the colonial Governor in enacting legislation mainly in the form of Ordinances for the peace, order and good government of the citizenry through to the current Third Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana with 30 years uninterrupted Parliamentary democracy.

Dr Ernest Daffour, Senior Assistant Clerk, Committees Offices, in his presentation, explained that Parliament’s Committees were grouped into three.

He said that while the Standing Committee had 14 Committees consisting of MPs, it was a permanent and regular Committee, which was constituted from time to time according to the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, the Select Committee that dealt with subject matters was made up of 16 Committees while the Adhoc Committee deals with specific issues of public interest and is dissolved after discharging its duties to the expectation of the plenary.