Recognise uniqueness of 8th Parliament - Speaker urges MPs

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has called on new members of the House to recognise the uniqueness of the 8th Parliament and work towards making it outstanding.

That, he noted, could only happen “if members take their work, roles, duties and responsibilities as Members of Parliament seriously”.

Mr Bagbin, who made the call at a three-day orientation and induction seminar of new Members of Parliaments (MPs) at Big Ada in the Greater Accra Region, to equip them with the requisite knowledge and skills to enable them to effectively and efficiently navigate their way in the House.

The Speaker urged the MPs to eschew partisanship in their parliamentary duties, roles and responsibilities and promised to lead the House to work for the ultimate benefit of the country and assured: “the 8th Parliament of the fourth Republic will bring finality to the long protest since 2002 of trying to update and revise the Standing Orders”.

According to Mr Bagbin, the new standing orders which had been proposed would clarify some areas and provide for some gaps in the current orders to facilitate the smooth functioning of the House, adding that “create more space or opportunities for members to incorporate some of the involving best practices of Parliaments around the world”.

He pledged his commitment, determination and dedication to serve all Ghanaians and also promised to bring to the fore the wealth of experience he had gathered over the years as a parliamentarian in the discharge of his new duties as the Speaker of Parliament.

In a welcome address, Cyril Kwabena Nsiah, the Clerk to Parliament, appealed to the new members of the House to learn from their senior colleagues, as parliamentary rudiments are best mastered through experience.

He assured members of his and staff’s commitment, dedication and determination to provide expert, impartial service to them and the institution of Parliament.

The Majority and Minority Leaders of Parliament, Messrs Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and Haruna Iddrisu respectively, in their remarks, referred to new members learning from old ones and underscored Parliament would be best served if they work towards an excellent Parliament.