The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged Parliament to diligently scrutinize financial agreements and avoid approving loans with negative consequences for the country.
According to the Asantehene, Ghanaians expect prudent economic decisions from Parliament that will help reduce both local and foreign debt. He described the approval of harmful loans as unfortunate.
These remarks were delivered in a speech read on his behalf by the Paramount Chief of Asante Mampong, Daasebre Osei Bonsu, who chaired a public lecture titled “30 Years of Parliamentary Democracy Under The Fourth Republic: The Journey Thus Far” at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, on Monday.
He emphasized the importance of Parliament championing the cause of the Ghanaian population and meeting their needs and aspirations. This includes ensuring that citizens have adequate access to social amenities provided by appropriate authorities.
“We must do everything necessary through Parliament to build a society that will stand the test of time and position our children well in an increasingly interconnected world,” he stressed.
He urged Parliament not to leave the responsibility of national development entirely to the executive branch and to take a proactive role. In his view, if Parliament exercises its responsibilities prudently, the country would not face its current predicaments.
The Asantehene questioned why members of Parliament are organized along party lines and called for a reevaluation of this system, suggesting that less polarized groups would benefit the political landscape.
He also highlighted the importance of the equitable distribution of financial and economic resources across the country for its development. He pointed out the need for significant improvements in the country’s road and railway networks and called on Parliament to fulfill its oversight responsibilities to ensure national development benefits all citizens.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, urged members of Parliament to take the 30-year celebration of parliamentary democracy seriously.
He referenced recent events in Kenya, noting that parliamentarians were affected by riots initiated by the legislature, and emphasized the need for preemptive measures to ensure Ghana’s prosperity.