The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has revealed that he turned down an appointment by former President John Mahama to chair the Board of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
His disclosure came as he expressed concern over the growing trend of Members of Parliament (MPs) accepting ministerial and executive roles, including board memberships in state agencies.
Alban Bagbin argued that this practice undermines Parliament’s oversight responsibility over the Executive.
Earlier, he recounted that as Majority Leader in 2009, he was offered a position to be Minister of Parliamentary Affairs but rejected it.
This was because “I could not see the authority of a Majority Leader, the leader of the House, as a minister to be under the dictates and directives of the Executive.”
“So, I have always argued against the Majority Leader, the leader of the House, being a Minister of State.”
The Speaker insisted that lawmakers cannot serve on state agency boards, make decisions, and later return to Parliament to approve those same decisions as legislators.
“People disagreed with me and they continued. Today, I was offered to be Chair of the National Health Insurance Authority. As you all know, Speakers chair it. I rejected it because I think it’s not proper to go and chair the board, submit reports under the supervision of a minister. The Speaker is now under a minister, and the report will come to the House and the House will now be presided over by the minister – the Speaker.”
“I said, no, I rejected it but that’s what used to happen. Some of you don’t know that it’s not proper. You cannot go and chair the boards, the corporations, work over there, submit reports through the minister, the minister submits the report to Parliament. Then you come and preside over those reports and approve or disapprove. Please, issues of conflict of interest and prejudice arise,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
