The Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Abena Osei Asare, has defended her eligibility to lead the committee, insisting that she is fully qualified and committed to upholding the integrity of the role.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Monday, November 10, Mrs. Osei Asare explained that the selection of committee chairs is the responsibility of party caucuses in Parliament.
“The Committee Chairs are selected by the parties and the leadership of the respective caucuses. And so, my caucus chose me to head the Public Accounts Committee and to serve in that capacity. It’s something I want to do, and I’m qualified to do it as well,” she said.
Responding to claims of a potential conflict of interest, Mrs. Osei Asare clarified that the committee has internal safeguards to ensure impartiality in its work and that no member can influence reports submitted by the Auditor-General.
“I must say that there’s no conflict of interest in any way because the Public Accounts Committee is always chaired by a member from the opposition. And then, we have taken steps—when I say we, as in Parliament—to curb some of these things,” she explained.
She added that parliamentary standing orders provide clear guidance on handling situations where a sitting chairperson previously served in government during the period under review.
“That is why in Order 2294 of our Standing Orders, it says that when issues or reports from the Auditor-General pertain to the year in which the chairperson was in government, proceedings will be taken over by the ranking.
Consistently, you see me announcing that this pertains to a 2024 report for which I was in government. So I am ceding the chairmanship role to my ranking. Because consistently, we want to promote fairness, proper accountability, and transparency. Parliament has already taken care of that,” she noted.
Her comments follow a petition by the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A Plus, calling for her removal from the PAC chairmanship.
In his petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, dated Monday, November 3, the MP argued that Mrs. Osei Asare’s previous role as Deputy Minister of Finance during the period under audit creates a conflict of interest and could undermine the committee’s credibility.
The controversy has reignited discussions about the independence and impartiality of parliamentary oversight committees, particularly those charged with ensuring accountability in the management of public finances.
Source: Citi Newsroom
