Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has called on African countries to place their Auditor-Generals and public audit institutions under Parliament rather than the Executive.

He believes the arrangement would strengthen the independence of audit institutions and improve accountability in the management of public resources.

Mr Bagbin made the call while addressing the 2026 African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) Conference and General Meeting in Accra.

He argued that audit institutions could face challenges in effectively scrutinising government expenditure when they operate under the same Executive they are expected to audit.

“Once they are appointees of the Executive, they owe their loyalty to the Executive,” he said, adding that it was difficult for the Executive to audit itself.

Bagbin calls for stronger parliamentary oversight

The Speaker, who also chairs the African Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC), said Parliament had a constitutional responsibility to ensure that public officials accounted for resources entrusted to them.

He urged Public Accounts Committees (PACs) across Africa to carry out their oversight responsibilities without fear or political considerations.

According to him, parliamentary oversight must go beyond questioning public officials during hearings. It must also ensure that financial irregularities are addressed and recommendations are implemented.

Mr Bagbin further called for adequate financial and institutional support for Public Accounts Committees, arguing that their work should not be weakened by limited resources.

Parliament must make audit findings count

The Speaker also raised concerns about the limited public attention given to reports submitted by Public Accounts Committees.

He observed that in Ghana and other African countries, some committee reports were not adequately debated on the floor of Parliament, reducing public awareness of their findings and recommendations.

He called for stronger collaboration between Parliament and the media to ensure that citizens are informed about the outcomes of accountability processes.

He said the public should be able to know how much money has been recovered, what financial irregularities have been prevented and whether officials found responsible for wrongdoing have faced appropriate sanctions.

Abena Osei-Asare calls for stronger tracking of audit recommendations

AFROPAC Vice-Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare also called on Public Accounts Committees to strengthen their monitoring of government loans, revenue collection and the implementation of audit recommendations.

She said rising public debt and pressure on government revenue made effective parliamentary scrutiny increasingly important.

The four-day AFROPAC conference is being held under the theme: “Oversight for Resilience: Strengthening Africa’s Public Accounts Committees Amid a Shifting Financial Landscape.”

The meeting brings together Speakers of Parliament, lawmakers, auditors, finance officials and governance experts from across Africa.

The discussions are focused on strengthening parliamentary oversight, improving financial accountability and protecting public resources.

Bagbin’s proposal has renewed attention on the institutional independence of audit bodies and the role Parliament should play in ensuring that public funds are properly managed.

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Source:Ghana News Page