In the wake of an alleged bribery allegation against some members of the 6th parliament, the Founding President of think tank IMANI has said “our parliament must decide and let us all know if law making is on sale”.
It has emerged that members of the Finance Committee under the 6th parliament received GHS150,000 from the National Lottery Authority (NLA) to deliberate on the Lottery Bill.
Mr Cudjoe stated on Thursday, June 29: “There have been allegations of near extortion from government agencies sponsoring bills before they are served by relevant committees of parliament.”
He continued: “From the lot we have heard, it seems committees of parliament do not even spare cash- strapped agencies of government.”
Mr Cudjoe noted: “While these reported cases are an affront to parliamentary practice, it does seem the legalised monopoly over the introduction of bills by the executive arm of government will continue to fuel suspicion and allegations of parliamentary extortion.”
For him, it is time for Ghana to introduce a bill to allow for broader consultation, adding: “We need bold and forward-looking parliamentarians to demand the introduction of private members’ bills to help democratise the art of law making.”
Source: GhanaWeb
