Effective Tuesday, February 6, Ghanaian parliamentarians will initiate sessions by reciting the National Pledge, signalling the commencement of the new standing orders. This pivotal change requires heads of state institutions to appear directly before Parliament, addressing queries related to their agencies.
The new standing orders mark a departure from the previous regulations, which allowed Ministers of State to represent heads of institutions during questioning. Members of Parliament will now undergo a roll call and participate in reciting the national pledge at the beginning of proceedings.
Ahmed Ibrahim, the First Deputy Minority Whip in Parliament, highlighted the modifications, emphasizing that independent bodies such as the Electoral Commission, CHRAJ boss, BoG governor, NCCE, and the Auditor General will now face questioning similar to ministers on the parliamentary floor.
“Independent bodies like the Electoral Commission, the CHRAJ boss, the BoG governor, NCCE, and the Auditor General are going to be questioned just as we question ministers on the Floor, and the mode of answering questions on the Floor has also been provided in the new Standing Orders,” stated Ahmed Ibrahim.
He further explained that the new standing orders facilitate a more direct and comprehensive process, allowing independent bodies to be interrogated by committees and respond to questions without the previous limitations.