The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Lower West Akyem Constituency of the Eastern Region, Mr. Kwasi Addo Annor has urged chief executives in the Assemblies across the Country to consider Members of Parliament with Constituency office within the Assembly complex office.
According to him, the central Government is overburdened and building Constituency offices for all the 275 MPs will affect the Country’s budget and finance.
Mr. Kwasi Addo lauded successive Government for contributing to the establishment of Job 600 structure in Accra for the Members of Parliament and said the time has come for them to be given Constituency offices in the Assemblies and advocated for the recruitment of special secretaries to work in the office to receive letters and messages for the Lawmaker.
He said currently, some Presiding Members of the Assembly have been provided with offices in the Assemblies, adding, an MP should also be given an office since they are part of the Assembly members.
Mr. Alban S.K Bagbin, Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, has underscored the need for the establishment of offices for all Members of Parliament (MPs) in their Constituencies to address the needs of the people.
He said MPs must have offices and staff that would support them to perform their duties.
Mr. Bagbin noted that most MPs were professionals, yet, had no time to “read the voluminous documents” due to the pressure on them hence needed staff that would go through the documents, summarises, and breaks them into a simple language for the MPs as being done in every Parliament in the world.
Mr. Bagbin described it as ‘undemocratic’ circumstances where anyone looking for an MP had to go to their private homes.
In March 2021, the government said it will provide GH¢45.5 million this year to build constituency offices for 70 Members of Parliament (MPs).
The amount, which is part of the 2021 Budget, caters to the first stage of the construction project, which would provide constituency offices for all the 275 MPs by 2024.
A report of the Special Budget Committee of Parliament, presented to the plenary said the Parliamentary Service intended “to construct 70 of such offices annually so that by the end of 2024, all 275 Constituencies will be provided.”
The constituency offices are expected to facilitate the work of Members of Parliament by creating a non-partisan and neutral office for all constituents to interact with their representatives.
The constituency offices are expected to facilitate the work of Members of Parliament by creating a non-partisan and neutral office for all constituents to interact with their representatives.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Kofi Atakora
