Lack of job description makes Parliamentary Research Assistants inefficient

Accra, July 30, GNA - Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, Member of Parliament for Manhyia, on Friday said lack of knowledge on the job description of Research Assistants (RAs) attached to MPs made their role inefficient.

He said the initial plan was that selected service persons were to be taken through an orientation or training programme on relevant areas of research methods to adequately equip them to perform their new assignment.

Dr Premeh said this in a statement he delivered in Parliament in which he accused the government for failing to handle the issue.

"The apparent failure of the authors of this initiative to provide the needed resources to enhance the work of MPs Research Assistants is just inadmissible," he said.

He said government was aware of the constraints of office space of MPs and other basic facilities adding that failure to support the initiative had compounded the problem.

Dr Prempeh said some MPs did not even have the research assistants because of these problems adding; "RAs cannot be useful enough in the absence of these essentials."

The MP stated that members could only continue to support this initiative if there were special allowance allocated to them with the availability of internet facilities.

He recalled that Mr Ayariga, the then Spokesperson of the President, at the early stage of the programme said the erstwhile Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs would be used as office block for the RAs.

Dr Prempeh called on the leadership of the House to consult the Ministry of Works and Housing for the release of the office.

He said it was sad that the work of the RAs was becoming a subject of ridicule and that his investigations showed that some of them who attempted following their MPs to the House were denied seats in the foyer.

Dr Prempeh said the preparedness to serve the state in this area should rather be encouraged and be given the needed support and called on the government to take their work seriously.

Mr Isaac Asiama, Member for Atwima Mponua said government must establish a fund to support the programme.

GNA