Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, has said that legislative functions are not trial and error experiments mainly in parliamentary approval of Executive Nominations.
Hon. Mensah Bonsu explained that where ministers are not members of the legislature, an important aspect of oversight lies in the process of approval for executive and cabinet appointments, which must involve critical investigations of appointees’ suitability for public office.
He was speaking at a public forum on Parliamentary Oversight and Good Governance organised by the Centre for Social Democracy.
The majority leader in Parliament highlighted the short comings of the Government Assurance Committee which is supposed to pursue all assurances given by ministers and report to Parliament, the extent to which such assurances had been fulfilled.
He said that no minister, to the best of his knowledge, since 1993 had appeared before the Committee on Members Holding Office of Profit, for clearance for holding other offices of profit. This he believed was to be insisted by the Government Assurance Committee which is a vehicle of accountability of governments to the people.
Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonus urged Members of Parliament to understand the principles of responsibility, equality before the law and the urgent need to develop and foster a culture of rejecting corruption and impunity.
He entreated all stakeholders including groups outside the public sector, such as Civil Society Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations to join in the fight against corruption
