Minority has called for a complete revamp of capacity-building programmes for MPs and parliamentary staff to address the increasing complexity of legislative work.
Speaking on behalf of the Minority Leader at the first meeting of the Network of Parliamentary Training Institutes on Monday, March 23, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, stressed that training must evolve to keep pace with global changes and emerging policy challenges.
“For this network to succeed, three conditions must be met. First, there must be sustained investment. Second, there must be relevance. The world is changing, and our training must change with it by incorporating digital governance, data literacy, climate policy, and inclusive representation,” he said.
The call from the Minority was echoed by the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, who argued that capacity building should extend beyond MPs and parliamentary staff to the wider legislative ecosystem. He noted that strengthening knowledge and skills across all actors involved in the parliamentary process is vital for better governance.
“The members of Parliament are supposed to understand the work that they are supposed to do, what their mandates are and how to relate to their parliamentarians and their national Parliament. It is this ecosystem that parliamentary training institutes must focus on, and not just the institution of Parliament alone,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, speaking on behalf of the Speaker, urged participants to translate discussions into concrete actions that will strengthen parliamentary institutions.
