My leadership will bring governance to the doorsteps of the people-Speaker of Parliament.
The speaker of parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has begun a three-day working visit in the five northern regions of the country. The speaker, who arrived in Tamale on Saturday, 10th July, 2023, interacted with journalists from 27 media houses in the northern region on Sunday at a Media Soiree at Aisha Villas. The soiree offered the journalists the opportunity to interact with the speaker on parliamentary business and issues that will promote parliamentary democracy.
The speaker’s visit to the northern zone is part of activities to mark 30 years of uninterrupted democracy under the Fourth Republic. The commemoration is on the theme; “Thirty Years of parliamentary Democracy under the Fourth Republic: The journey thus far.” Among the activists during his visit from Monday, June 12–June 17, 2023, are mock parliament, public forum, and peace walk.
According to the Public Affairs and Media Relations Director, David Damoah, the activities aimed at fostering civic engagement and enhancing public awareness of parliamentary democracy.
The speaker on today, Monday, has gone to pay a courtesy call on the King of Mamprugu, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahami Sherigah II, at his Palace at Nalerigu in the North East Region, and on Tuesday, the speaker will call on the King of Dagbon, Ndan Ya-Naa Abukari II, at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi. He will also call on the King of Gonjaland, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale, at Damongo in the Savannah region. The speaker will wrap up his activities in Tamale at a public forum at the UDS Central Administration on Friday before proceeding to Bolga.
Addressing the media, the speaker assured the media of his leadership support for the media in bringing governance to the doorsteps of the people. He said though engagement with the media may not be annually, it will be more often. He explained that the celebration starting in Tamale is obvious because Tamale is the capital of the Northern Ecological Zone.
The speaker, flanked by the Director of Public Engagement, Superintendent Effia, told the media that during the second and third parliaments of the fourth republic, the right Honorable Justice D.F. Annan started the republic forum, which was to be held at districts and regional capitals and climax at the national level, where the speaker would give a key note address. This, he explained, worked for eight years until Speaker Peter Ala Adjetey of the 7th Parliament.
The Northern Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mr. Yakubu Abdul-Majeed on his part, commended the Speaker for engaging media practitioners, especially in the northern part of the country. “This is the first ever engagement a sitting Speaker of Parliament has ever had with the media in this part of the country.” Mr. Abdul-Majeed stated
He made a passionate appeal to the speaker to assist in enacting a law that will compel the state to adequately resource media in the country. He emphasized that one of the surest ways to guarantee media independence is to be resourced in order to hold duty-bearers in check.
Source: Mohammed Ibrahim, ZaaNews.com