The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has revealed the House is considering proposals to restrict each Member of Parliament to only one committee, as is done in other jurisdictions.
According to him, this will help MPs specialize in specific fields in a manner that will enrich the work of Parliament.
This proposal is captured in the ongoing review of the standing orders of Parliament.
Addressing some selected journalists in Accra, Prof. Oquaye noted that “If you go to Britain; one member, one committee. Here we have people on three-four committees and then you become a jack of all trades.”
“We have all agreed; both sides of the house and the leadership, at least, that this is not good enough. It doesn’t help us in doing our job well. In the revision of the standing orders, we are proposing that a member should become a member of only one committee and be specialized.”
Professor Mike Ocquaye also said the House is working on proposals to have different committees for each ministerial vetting.
Parliament has 16 select commitees: the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs; Lands and Forestry; Health; Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary; Works and Housing; Local Government and Rural Development; Foreign Affairs; Employment, Social Welfare and State; Communications; Defence and the Interior; Trade, Industry and Tourism; Environment, Science and Technology; Education Youth, Sports and Culture; Mines and Energy; and Roads and Transport.
Ad hoc Committees may also be appointed to deal with other matters that require investigation.
In addition to this, the House also has 14 standing committees like the Privileges and Finance committees.
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By: Duke Mensah Opoku | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
