Training Centre for MPs inaugurated

Page 17, March 30, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
A multi-purpose training centre aimed at improving the functioning of Parliament has been inaugurated at Osu, Accra.
The facility, provided by the Canadian Parliamentary Centre (CPC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has a well-equipped liaison office for the regular interaction and review of the collaborative efforts of the Audit Service and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.
It would also provide opportunity for Members of Parliament (MPs) to network with their colleagues from other parliaments across Africa.
Inaugurating the centre, the Chairman of the PAC, Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, said the relationship between Parliament and the CPC had existed for a long time during which the NGO organised capacity building programmes for the PAC and other committees and staff of the Parliamentary Service.
He noted that the effectiveness of every Parliament depended on MPs capacity to effectively discharge their duties as expected of them.
He said it was, therefore important for members of the various committees of Parliament to be well informed about the subject area of their respective committees in order to facilitate proper deliberations on issues referred to them for consideration.
Mr Sallas-Mensah said that the success of the recent public sitting of the PAC was a testimony of the effectiveness of the capacity building work of the CPC.
He said the CPC, through the Department for International Development (DfID,) was very instrumental in supporting the public sitting of the PAC, adding that the inauguration of the centre would enhance the work of the PAC and other committees of Parliament.
Mr Sallas-Mensah expressed gratitude to the CPC, DFID and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for supporting Parliament to ensure the attainment of power balance among the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
For his part, Dr Rasheed Draman of the CPC thanked the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), CIDA, DFID and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for supporting the CPC to undertake the project.