Effective today, Tuesday, 6 February 2024, parliamentarians will initiate sessions by reciting the National Pledge, signalling the adoption of the new standing orders. 

This notable alteration in the standing orders mandates heads of institutions to personally appear before Parliament to address inquiries regarding their agencies, a departure from the previous practice where Ministers of State could represent them during questioning. 

In this new framework, Members of Parliament will undergo a roll call and join in reciting the national pledge at the commencement of proceedings. 

First Deputy Minority Whip in Parliament, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, explained to journalists that under the new dispensation, “independent bodies like the Electoral Commission, the CHRAJ boss, the BoG governor, NCCE, and the Auditor General are going to be questioned just as we question ministers on the Floor and the mode of answering questions on the Floor has also been provided in the new standing orders”. 

“Previously, if you wanted to invite the EC, they would say he had no audience on the floor and if the Common Fund Administrator needed to come unless the discussion was led by the Minister but this time around, it is not going to be the same”, he explained. 

“The administrator can come and be interrogated by a committee and can be asked questions and he will respond to the questions and the mode of answering the questions has been catered for in the new standing orders.”