High attrition in Parliament destroys our Committee System -Kyei-Mensah, others bemoan

The Minority and Majority caucuses in Parliament have both consented to the fact that the high attrition rate in the House impacts negatively on the committee system and the institution as a whole.

They reckoned that one loss the House is making is the use of its resources to train and equip members in different specializations, only for them to be kicked out during party primaries.

They indicated that the high attrition rate robs the house of the quality human resources natured over years to chair various committees and produce remarkable reports for the smooth running of Parliament.

The members made their grievances known at an engagement organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in Accra.

The engagement, dubbed: “The Committee System in Parliament: An Assessment,” sought to examine the committee system in Ghana’s Parliament and proffer solutions where necessary.

In attendance was the Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, who is also the Chairman of three committees, namely, the Business Committee, the House Committee and the Special Budget Committee.

There was also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, who chairs the Appointment Committee, as well as the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr James Klutse Avedzi, who is Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

Other members present were, Mr Ben Abdalla Banda, Member of Parliament Offinso South and Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Dedzra, MP for Ho West and Ranking Member of the Works and Housing Committee, Mr Ras Mubarak, MP, Kunbumgu, Mr Inusah Fuseni, MP, Tamale Central and Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and other MPs.

Just like any other corporate institution, Parliament also has structures put in place to ensure that its oversight duties are discharged well, and one of such is the committee system practiced in the House.

Currently, Parliament has 14 standing committees, 16 select committees, and an ad-hoc Committee. Notable among all these are the Standing Orders Committee, Appointment Committee, Public Accounts, Government, Defense Committee, Road and Transport, Foreign Affairs, Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Local Government and Rural Development.

Both the Minority and Majority leadership, who are members and heads of the various committees, consented that the committee system had really helped Parliament perform its oversight duties better.

The members reconciled that the committee system allows Parliament to increase the amount of work it does, and ensure an in-depth analysis and debates of issues brought before the House.

The members agreed that decision making in Parliament is normally the interaction between committees, political parties, interest groups and the parent chamber.

It is in the committee rooms where the contents of public policies are shaped, various civil society organisations in the country are heard, and legislations fashioned out.

The Majority Leader, Mr Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu, noted that the length of the tenure of committee members was a problem to the 4^th Republican legislature.

He observed that the longer the tenure of committee members in a particular area, the greater the specialisation and which intend affects the quality of laws passed in the house.

“However, we don’t have the luxury of ensuring the longevity of the committee chairs, talk of the members, due to the system of democracy practiced in Ghana.”

He said this had also affected the incentive to resource members in a particular specialization, because it would be a waste of resource to invest in one, only for the person to be kicked out in the next primary.

He called on the leadership of the various political parties, especially the two major parties, and civil society organisations to take a second look at Ghana’s democracy and make adjustments where necessary for the betterment of the country.

He intimated that the bulk of the law-making process lies in the bosom of Parliament, hence, there should be quality material in the House to ensure the passage of good laws.

Mr Inusah Fuseni, Ranking Member on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, also supported the argument of the Majority Leader, by indicating that quality laws could only be made when there are quality material in Parliament.

He noted that the only way such quality could enter the House was through political party parties, and, therefore, called on the parties to take a critical look at who they support to enter the legislative House.

Mr Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzra, Ranking Member of the Works and Housing Committee, also bemoaned the political interference being experienced by some communities.

He called on chairpersons to take charge of the business of the committees and influence issues, instead of allowing their political parties to influence them.

 

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