Member of Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Committee, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, says parliament’s revision of its standing orders to allow for investigations and enquiries  into independent constitutional bodies is to deepen the exercise of oversight.

According to him, under current standing orders and constitution, there is a gap as to how parliament is to properly exercise oversight over independent constitutional bodies.

The revised standing order, he said, will fill that lacuna and streamline the oversight duties of parliament.

“Now questions have been asked; how do we exercise oversight over these constitutional bodies? there’s been a lot of lacuna in terms of the procedure provided even in terms of the constitution itself. The constitution has made this provision, but how do we give effect to that? It’s missing.

“So if under Article 110 we are madated to come out with our own rules to govern our procedure on the floor then it is the mind of parliament that in order to deepen the exercise of oversight, now we want to grant you better access,” he said.

Parliament has conducted a sweeping revision of its standing orders for the first time since 2000.

The revised standing orders is to among other things empower the legislature carry out its mandate of checks and balance.

Among the revision including the introduction of at least three new committees including a budget committee to be headed by an opposition figure that will be mandated to assist the finance ministry draw yearly budgets.

According to Mr. Dafeamekpor, the sweeping powers of the revised standing orders are not in contravention of the constitution but rather seek to enhance transparency and accountability.

“We’re not saying come and tell us your functions. No, we’re saying that to deepen the exercise of oversight; if we give you money how you spend the money we need to know. You don’t always – sometimes there are interim matters that we’ll engage the house, there should be a procedure for you to come and lay the paper, speak to it to engage members to be able to be debated upon and approved and a decision reached. We don’t have to wait for a committee, some special budget committee to go and engage you,” he said.