The Assurances Committee of Parliament has pledged to fulfil its mandate of holding government officials accountable for promises made to the public, while ensuring its work remains free from partisan influences.
The committee has emphasised its role in overseeing the execution of promises made by government appointees and MPs, with a focus on transparency and good governance.
Speaking during a three-day capacity-building workshop for committee members in Koforidua on Saturday, May 17, the Chairman of the committee, Dominic Nitiwul, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, assured the public that the committee’s work will be conducted with the utmost professionalism and free from political bias.
“We intend to go after those who make assurances, and mostly it is the appointees who make the assurances on behalf of the executive, and the executive is the president. So, that is what we intend to do. It is not a witch-hunting process,” Nitiwul stated.
Nitiwul stressed that the committee’s goal is not to target individuals, but rather to ensure that promises made by members of the executive branch and Parliament are honoured. The committee, which is tasked with monitoring the fulfilment of promises made on the floor of Parliament, is particularly focused on the actions and follow-through of appointees within the executive branch.
As part of its efforts to maintain transparency and public trust, the committee plans to hold regular public sittings, starting in July, where both ministers and opposition MPs will be probed on their promises. Nitiwul assured that the committee would remain visible and accessible to the public to carry out its important work.
“We are a committee of Parliament here to undertake a three-day exercise to monitor the performance of the appointees regarding the promises made in Parliament and hold them accountable. It is to ensure that Parliament is strong enough to do what they are supposed to do. We will begin public sittings in July,” Nitiwul confirmed.
Alhaji Muhammad Bawah Braimah, the Ranking Member of the Assurances Committee and Member of Parliament for Ejura-Sekyedumase, also emphasised the committee’s resolve to operate in the interest of the Ghanaian people, ensuring that resources entrusted to public officials are properly managed and accounted for.
“This committee is going to work in the interest of Ghanaians to ensure that any cedi which has been entrusted in the public officials is properly accounted for and to ensure that there is good governance. For that matter, we are not going to be partisan,” Braimah asserted.