Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has expressed his commitment to building a progressive and inclusive model Parliament that deepens good governance and meets the needs and aspirations of Ghanaians, as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
Speaking at the Speaker’s Editors Forum in Accra on Tuesday, Mr. Bagbin said his vision is to establish a Parliament that is open, transparent, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of the people.
Mr Alban K.S Bagbin (head of table) addressing the editors
“We have a Parliament where the Committees are chaired by both sides of the house. It’s not a traditional arrangement as before — for instance, committees like Public Accounts or Assurance were not always chaired this way,” he explained.
He added that committees related to government operations were deliberately given to the opposition party to chair, describing the move as a creative innovation that promotes balance and accountability.
“Many are learning from how we are doing it. Because it’s a house — a family — and we have a function to perform,” he said.
Mr. Bagbin further disclosed plans to introduce a Parliamentary Transition Act, similar to the Presidential Transition Act, before the 2028 General Elections. The legislation aims to ensure a smooth transition of the legislature after every election.
“There’s no law governing the transition of Parliament. You all saw what happened on January 7, 2021,” he noted, recalling the administrative challenges he faced upon assuming office as Speaker without a proper handover process.
He lamented that most of the staff who worked with his predecessor, Prof. Mike Oquaye, had left without handing over any documentation, leaving his office empty.
“We got the bill finalised, but before we could say jack, the eighth Parliament came to an end — so it lapsed, and we had to start all over again,” he said.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, revealed that discussions are ongoing to encourage more public hearings and media involvement in committee work.
“A lot of the work is done at the committee stage, so we want to see how the media can get more involved,” he said.
On his part, the Minority Leader and MP for Effutu Constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, welcomed the initiative, noting that it would promote transparency, collaboration, and informed public discussions on national issues while safeguarding the dignity and integrity of the legislative process.
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