The African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) says plans to secure office facilities for Members of Parliament in their respective constituencies is laudable and must be made a reality.
The Executive Director of ACEPA, Rashid Draman, in an interview on Eyewitness News, said having these offices for MPs will address the issue of accessibility of parliamentarians and ensure their proper representation of the local people.
“I am for it… Your constituents may find you at the hospital or on the street, but that is not how to structure representation. I think we need to at all cost have a place where when if you want to meet your MP or when you have issues, you can go to. Even if your MP is not present, there is a structure through which he can be reached,” he said.
It came to the fore earlier this week that the government had allocated some GH¢ 45.5 million to be used to secure office facilities for some MPs in their constituencies.
The said amount caters for the first phase of the project which is intended to provide constituency offices for all the 275 MPs by 2024.
A report of the Special Budget Committee of Parliament, presented to the plenary on Tuesday, 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.”
Source:citinewsroom.com
