(VIDEO) Nitiwul Slams Ministers for Skipping Parliamentary Hearings
Government Assurances Committee Chair says ministers who ignore parliamentary invitations disrespect Ghanaians and must be held accountable.
- Nitiwul condemns ministers' absence.
- Ablakwa cited for missing committee hearing.
- President urged to enforce accountability.
Chairman of Parliament’s Government Assurances Committee and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, has criticised ministers who fail to honour invitations to appear before Parliament, describing the practice as disrespectful to both Parliament and the Ghanaian people.
Speaking during proceedings of the committee, Nitiwul stressed that responding to parliamentary invitations is one of the fundamental responsibilities of ministers, as it provides an opportunity to account for government commitments and update the public on the implementation of promises made to Ghanaians.
According to him, the committee invited several ministers to provide updates on the status of government assurances, but many failed to appear as scheduled.
He specifically cited the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who was expected to appear before the committee on Tuesday, July 7, but did not attend. Nitiwul alleged that the minister neither informed the committee of his absence nor responded to repeated attempts by the committee’s leadership to reach him.
“If you cannot respect the people of Ghana by appearing before Parliament to account for your work, then you cannot be a minister,” Nitiwul said, expressing concern over what he described as a lack of accountability.
He further called on President John Dramani Mahama to encourage his ministers to treat parliamentary invitations with the seriousness they deserve, noting that Parliament represents the interests of all Ghanaians.
His remarks came after all ministers invited to appear before the Government Assurances Committee failed to attend, citing various reasons. Their appearances have since been rescheduled for Thursday, July 9, 2026.
From Martin Kwabena Ahwireng Quaye
