Serious business before the House demands regular sittings

Nov 14, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor,

As the 13th Parliament resumes, I again extend a warm welcome to the Honourable Speaker and Members of the National Assembly.

This new session presents a vital opportunity to strengthen parliamentary oversight and rebuild public confidence in the legislature. But the moment also demands that the House examine how critical items of national business are managed, not allowed to drift through bureaucratic formalities.

Each week the Official Gazette publishes government notices, for instance, that seldom reach the floor of the Assembly. These are not routine announcements; they include the appointment of directors to state boards and commissions that control large budgets and major public-sector contracts.

The Gazette is therefore more than a register of names, it is an accountability alarm bell. Every board appointment should be accompanied by a statement to the Assembly identifying the appointees, the criteria for their selection, and the safeguards against conflicts of interest. When that information is withheld, Parliament’s oversight function is quietly weakened.

The experience of the last Parliament should guide us. Motions such as the one seeking justice for the Henry Boys, tabled as far back as 2020, never reached debate before the 12th Parliament concluded in July 2025. If such matters can vanish without resolution, so too can vital questions about state boards, procurement and the expenditure of public funds.

Parliament must ensure that the Gazette signals the beginning of accountability, not its burial. There is now serious business before the House: delayed audit reports, major loan agreements, and outstanding motions that require attention. A catalogue of questions, motions and Bills now summons the Assembly to rigorous, robust debate. In the national interest, the 13th Parliament should meet as often as necessary to conduct that business and restore citizens’ faith in open, responsible governance. Accountability must be routine, not reactive. Only then will Parliament fulfil its constitutional promise as guardian of the people’s trust.

Yours faithfully,
Sherod Duncan, M.P.

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