The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has appealed to the Executive to allocate a parcel of land adjacent to Parliament for the construction of a permanent parliamentary complex.
Speaking during the launch of Parliament’s 2026-2030 Corporate Strategic Plan, Mr Bagbin stressed significant infrastructure limitations currently hindering parliamentary business.
He emphasised the need for a dedicated Parliament House to enhance legislative operations.
“We have been crying and I hope you support us,” Mr Bagbin stated, advocating Parliament to move from being “tenants of the State House to having our own premises as an arm of government.”
Access
Mr Bagbin said despite its crucial role as a pillar of the country’s democracy, Parliament currently faces difficulties accessing certain structures within its precincts needed for its activities.
“We cannot access some of the structures here, including the Banquet Hall, until we ourselves pay and now it is falling into disuse and we have to spend a lot of money to bring it back.
“There are a lot of infrastructure limitations and it has not been easy; even when we are about to take a decision, and you cannot take a decision when there is no consensus with the voting.”
“So, this strategic plan has been developed in direct response to these realities,” he said.
The strategic plan, which sought the inputs of the citizens and civil societies across the country, articulates a clear, forward-looking vision for a model people-centred, inclusive and proactive Parliament that is firmly grounded in constitutionalism and pragmatism.
Championed by the Speaker, the plan is guided by evidence-based decision-making and strengthened through the effective use of technology and professional expertise.
The launch attracted the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga; the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei; the Clerk-to-Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, members of Parliament, representatives from civil society organisations, diplomatic corps and public and private entities.
Right ecosystem and support
The Speaker said since the inception of the Fourth Republic, Parliament had implemented four strategic plans, with the current document constituting the fifth.
The current plan, he said, built on the achievement of the previous plans and responded to prevailing challenges and global trends.
He said it integrated key strategic and stakeholder priorities for the medium-term from 2026 to 2030.
He explained that the four earlier plans had recorded notable successes while also revealing threats and challenges from which valuable lessons had been learned.
Notable achievement of the preceding strategic plans, he said, was a successful adoption of a new organisational structure which strengthened leadership capacity and improved functional alignment.
Caucus’s support
Mr Ayariga said the home-grown strategic plan was developed based on wide consultation with the citizenry and gave an assurance of the Majority Caucus’s support towards the successful implementation of the plan.
“This document is for making sure that the members who come here perform the critical role of passing the best legislation, advocating their constituencies and holding other institutions accountable,” he said.
Mrs Appiagyei pledged the support of the Minority to ensure the effective implementation of the strategic plan.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
