The American Ambassador, Her Excellency Stephanie Sullivan, has commended the Appointment Committee of Parliament over the just-ended ministerial vetting.
Ambassador Sullivan, among other things, said the way the Committee conducted its business during the vetting process sent a strong signal that Parliament’s work will not be business as usual and now takes its scrutiny duties very seriously.
She made the remarks when she called on the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to congratulate him on his ascension to the high office of Speakership.
The two spoke about a number of key issues pertaining to the development of their respective countries.
Conversations were also centered on health, agriculture and environmental issues.
Speaker Bagbin expressed gratitude for the good relations between Ghana and the United States and made reference to the fragility of Ghana’s democracy.
He said a look at the country’s political makeup points to the fact that Ghanaians are no longer interested in partisan politics.
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To him, they [Ghanaians] expect the two main political parties to put the interest of the country first and to collaborate more for the ultimate good of the country.
He also emphasized the fact that accountability was a key ingredient for Ghana’s progress and urged the political class to be mindful of this.
The Speaker also spoke about the need to strengthen the institutional capacity of the legislative branch of government.
He also added the need for Members of Parliament to be given offices and personnel in their constituencies for ease of consultation and work in the constituencies.
The Ambassador on her part spoke about the need for strong trade relations, referring to an earlier statement made by the Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu which stressed the need to strengthen the private sector since it is the engine of growth.