“The strategic plan envisions an inclusive and proactive Parliament grounded in constitutional principles, guided by evidence-based decision-making,” Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, said on Thursday.
Speaking at the launch in Parliament House, the speaker said that the plan focused on five key areas: legislative management, parliamentary oversight and accountability, parliamentary representation, parliamentary diplomacy, and parliamentary support service.
“Our particular focus is on strengthening parliamentary democracy, enhancing transparency, and accountability,” he emphasised.
The Speaker urged citizens to hold leaders accountable, saying, “Good governance is not just a giving,” and “It’s the vigilance of all that keeps the politician behaving well.”
According to Mr Bagbin, the plan was a result of extensive consultation and collaboration with stakeholders, including civil society and development partners.
He declared the plan “truly an ambitious strategic plan” that other parliaments were inspired by and emphasized that implementation was key to its success.
Mr Bernard Ahiafor, the First Deputy Speaker and the Chairman of the Steering Committee, said
the new strategic plan positioned itself to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union Agenda 2063, and Ghana’s medium-to-long-term development aspirations.
He said the plan included an institutional assessment, highlighting gains made under previous plans, and reaffirming Parliament’s vision, mission, and core values. Mr Ahiafor outlined the outcome-oriented programs to include the Legislative Management: strengthening legislative scrutiny and impact assessment, enhancing Member of Parliament (MP) capacity, and promoting evidence-based lawmaking; Parliamentary Oversight and Accountability: Improving scrutiny of government policies, programs, and public expenditure.
That, he explained, shifted the plan from a goal-based to a program-based framework, enabling better tracking, accountability, and linking everyday actions to strategic objectives.
Mr Ahiafor mentioned the members of the Steering Committee as Madam Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Awutu Senya West; Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi; Mr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, an NDC MP for Wa Central; Mr Richmond Edem Kofi Kpotosu, an NDC MP for Ho Central; and Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, an NDC MP for Ho West.
Mrs Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader, pledged the support of the Caucus to ensure the effective implementation of the strategic plan.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader, also said the homegrown strategic plan was developed based on wide consultation with the citizenry and assured the Majority Caucus’s support towards the successful implementation of the plan.
“This document is for making sure that the members that come here perform the critical role of passing the best legislation, advocating their constituencies, and holding other institutions accountable,” he said.
GNA
