The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has called on Public Accounts Committees (PACs) across Africa to strengthen their relationship with the media. This collaboration aims to ensure that the outcomes of parliamentary investigations into public financial management are made known to citizens. According to Bagbin, the media should be regarded as partners in the accountability process.
Addressing the opening of the African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) Conference and General Meeting in Accra, Bagbin emphasized that the work of PACs should go beyond summoning public officials, questioning them, and presenting reports to Parliament. He stressed that the ultimate objective of parliamentary oversight should be to produce measurable results, including the recovery of public funds and prevention of financial misconduct.
Bagbin questioned the effectiveness of PACs when their investigations and recommendations failed to produce visible outcomes. He noted that Ghanaians and other Africans needed to understand the results of their work. The public must be informed about how much money had been recovered through parliamentary oversight and measures taken to prevent the misapplication or embezzlement of public funds.
The Speaker also called for greater public awareness of the fate of officials implicated in financial misconduct. This includes whether they had been investigated, prosecuted, convicted, or acquitted. Bagbin observed that PACs submitted several reports to Parliament but faced considerable challenges in their work, often leaving citizens unaware of what happened after the reports were presented.
He expressed concern that some reports were not debated on the floor of Parliament due to delays in government business. This left citizens without information about the findings and actions taken. Bagbin said effective collaboration with the media and other accountability partners could help address the information gap and ensure that the results of parliamentary investigations received public attention.
The AFROPAC conference was held under the theme, “Oversight for Resilience: Strengthening Public Accounts Committees for Accountability in a Changing Financial Landscape.” Bagbin maintained that PAC hearings should not become public spectacles where officials were invited to answer questions without follow-up action to address the financial irregularities uncovered.
By working with the media, PACs can ensure that their work leads to tangible outcomes, such as the recovery of public funds and the prosecution of officials found culpable. The Speaker's remarks were made in the context of the AFROPAC Conference and General Meeting, which brought together members of Public Accounts Committees from across Africa to discuss issues related to accountability and financial management.
Key points
- The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, urges Public Accounts Committees to collaborate with the media for effective accountability.
- The ultimate objective of parliamentary oversight should be to produce measurable results, including the recovery of public funds and prevention of financial misconduct.
- Effective collaboration with the media can help address the information gap and ensure that the results of parliamentary investigations receive public attention.
