The Minority in Parliament has called on government to publish the report of the Justice Brobbey Commission of Inquiry into the creation of the proposed new regions.
According to the Minority it is in the interest of transparency for the recommendations and other details of the Commission’s Report to be made public.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu made the call at a news conference in Parliament on critical matters arising from the creation of the new regions in Ghana.
The Justice Brobbey Commission was set up by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in accordance with Article Five of the 1992 Constitution to inquire into the requests for the creation of new regions, and has presented its report to the Government.
Mr. Iddrisu said Parliament had not been privy to the content of the Report after five months of submission.
“It has been almost five months since the Commission submitted to government its report containing recommendations to create new regions. Its contents are, however, shrouded in so much secrecy that even Parliament, as a co-equal branch of government, has been officially denied access to it,” he said.
Mr. Iddrisu said the Constitutional Instrument for the conduct of the referendum, leading to the creation of the new regions, had been laid before Parliament and would mature in 21 sitting days.
‘’However, Parliament is being asked to conduct a surgical operation in the dark, having no idea whatsoever whether the Constitutional Instrument conforms in material respect to the recommendations of the Justice Brobbey Commission Report,’’ he said.
Mr. Iddrisu stated that it was in the interest of good governance, openness, truthfulness and transparency that the Report was made public to enable the nation to verify that the Constitutional Instrument before Parliament was truly reflective of the contents of the Report.
He, therefore, urged President Akufo-Addo to keep faith with his promise for transparent and accountable governance.
“The Commission of Inquiry Report should not be exclusive preserve of a few. It must be opened up to the entire nation to enable us to gain insights into the thinking of the Commission and the constitutionality of its recommendation, and to determine whether the Constitutional Instrument laid in Parliament truly reflects the recommendations of the Commission,” he added.
