The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has urged Ghanaians to take critical cue from political situations across the sub region and protect their democratic rights and principles.
Democracy, he noted had brought peace, security and development to countries that had adopted it “because that is the only system that ensures sustainable and inclusive governance.
“It has not yet sank only in the people but also in the practitioners, they don’t still appreciate, they don’t understand, they don’t recognise, they don’t position that institution well and we have seen what is happening around us as a country. We need to take this seriously,” Mr Bagbin added in an apparent reference to the recent coup d’état in Niger Republic.
Mr Bagbin said Ghana adopted the multi-party democracy and the trend appeared that that people are losing faith and trust in parties.
The Speaker of Parliament made these remarks here in Takoradi in the Western Region over the weekend when he hosted the local press to a reception to herald a public forum to be held in Takoradi on Tuesday, to celebrate Ghana’s democratic credentials on the theme “30 years of Parliamentary democracy under the 4th Republic: The journey so far.”
It is for this reason, he implored the media as partners of the Legislature to educate the citizenry particularly to understand and appreciate the place and role of Parliament as the representative of the people.
The Speaker of parliament said the media was a crucial partner for Parliament’s journey in consolidating democratic principles of fairness, responsiveness, inclusion and accountability.
He stressed that it is the reason the Consultative Assembly devoted much time on the media in the draft Constitution, adding that the 1992 constitution spelt out the role and functions of the media and guaranteed their rights and protection.
“Either because of our long tradition of oneness, one person leading, we are still finding it difficult to go along with the media which represents purity, which actually accepts the diversity that we have in the country. Luckily, we have the men and women who have the guts, the courage from time to time to come out to say it as it is.”
He was unhappy about the intrusion of a lot of intimidation, threats and violence in the media arena, assuring that, “we have decided that we should use this opportunity to reach out to the media.”
Mr Bagbin noted that Ghana must grow, nurture and develop a media that responded to the pressures of the society and able to stand on its own because the intention in the Constitution “is to establish an independent media that – everybody, all the arms and individuals are held accountable.”
The Speaker explained that, one important arm that linked all the three arms of government with the people was the media, which he described as an important cog in the wheels of democracy.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
