Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin, has emphasized the need for political leaders and Members of Parliament to work together to dispel the stereotypes associated with politicians in the country.
He acknowledged that the frustration among the youth of Ghana has made some parliamentarians hesitant to extend their terms and called for concerted efforts to bridge the gap between politicians and citizens.
During an inauguration of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Caucus in Parliament on Tuesday, November 28, Mr. Bagbin stressed the importance of having a strong alliance with civil society to protect and preserve democracy and the rule of law in Africa.
He urged parliamentarians to collaborate with various stakeholders, including religious leaders, traditional authorities, private sector players, think tanks, the media, and civil society, to address and improve the system of governance through consultation and engagement.
The Speaker also expressed concern about the growing dissatisfaction among Members of Parliament and urged them to work tirelessly to dispel the negative perceptions associated with their roles.
He revealed that the restructuring of the organogram of Parliament aims to create new departments to address and improve the existing governance system in Ghana.
Mr. Bagbin acknowledged the importance of civil society organizations in today’s social and political architecture and stressed the need for effective and sustainable partnerships with societies and think tanks to attain Ghana’s Parliamentary strategic goal of institutionalizing Parliament-citizen engagement.
He emphasized the need for engagement that fosters closer involvement of civil society organizations in the work of Parliament.
