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The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has urged Auditor-Generals and Public Accounts Committees (PACs) across Africa to strengthen their relationship with the media, describing journalists as critical partners in promoting public financial accountability.
According to him, the media play an essential role in ensuring that public officials are held accountable and that the findings of audit investigations translate into meaningful action.
He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 6th AFROPAC General Meeting and Conference at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026.
Addressing the Auditor-General, Dr. Pamela Graham, the Speaker questioned the effectiveness of audit work when the public rarely sees the outcomes of investigations and recommendations.
“You have to work with the media. They must be your friends. What is the role of the media in democracy? Exactly what you are doing — holding public officials to account. They must be your friends so that, at the end of the day, they bring out the results,” he said.
Mr. Bagbin cautioned that the work of Public Accounts Committees must go beyond public hearings, questioning officials and producing reports that are subsequently left without meaningful parliamentary debate.
He observed that several audit reports submitted to Parliament are often glossed over, partly because the Majority, which oversees government business, may have little interest in facilitating debates on reports concerning the government.
“They submit so many reports; they just gloss over them. Who is in charge of government business? The Majority people. And the reports are concerning their government. So they don’t want them debated on the floor. And so people don’t know what has happened,” he stated.
The Speaker urged Auditor-Generals and PACs to work closely with the media and development partners to publicise the outcomes of their work, including funds recovered, wrongful payments prevented, improvements made to legislation and actions taken against persons found culpable of financial misconduct.
He said the public must be informed about whether individuals implicated in wrongdoing had been investigated, prosecuted, convicted or acquitted.
“These things must come out so Ghanaians can see the relevance, Africans can see the relevance and importance of PACs. And so when you go asking for money, they will definitely give it,” he added.
Mr. Bagbin maintained that greater public visibility of the work of audit institutions and parliamentary accountability committees would strengthen public confidence in their operations and demonstrate the value of investing in effective oversight.
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By: www.frontpageghana.com/Ghana
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