Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin has called on African parliaments to move beyond identifying financial irregularities in public institutions and ensure that audit findings lead to concrete corrective action and accountability.
Speaking at the opening of the African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) Conference and General Meeting at Alisa Hotel in Accra, Afenyo-Markin stressed that the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight should not be measured by the number of audit queries examined or public attention generated by parliamentary hearings, but by the corrective measures that follow.
Addressing parliamentary colleagues, representatives of Supreme Audit Institutions, development partners and other delegates, he posed a critical question: How can African countries move from audit findings to real accountability?
He argued that protecting public financial resources requires actionable enforcement, integrity and the effective use of statutory powers.
Supreme Court ruling reinforces public accountability
To emphasise the importance of financial accountability, Afenyo-Markin cited the June 2017 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Occupy Ghana v. Attorney-General, Suit No. J1/19/2016.
Quoting Justice Jones Victor Mawulorm Dotse, he recalled the court’s position that public funds must not be treated as resources available for unrestricted use and that public accountability must go beyond mere formalities.
He said the ruling provides a constitutional foundation for ensuring that public resources are protected through effective oversight and enforcement.
Calls for stronger collaboration among African parliaments
Afenyo-Markin also called for greater cooperation among African legislatures, arguing that public financial accountability cannot be achieved by individual parliaments working in isolation.
He described AFROPAC as an important platform for parliamentary institutions across the continent to exchange experiences, learn from successful oversight practices and develop common approaches to protecting public resources.
Although African countries operate under different constitutional arrangements and parliamentary systems, he noted that many face similar challenges in ensuring financial accountability.
He urged delegates to use the conference to identify effective follow-up mechanisms for audit recommendations and strengthen cooperation between parliamentary committees and national auditing institutions.
AFROPAC’s role in strengthening oversight
The Minority Leader commended AFROPAC’s leadership for its contribution to peer learning and financial oversight reforms since the organisation’s establishment in Arusha, Tanzania, in September 2013.
He said the organisation had continued to provide a platform for strengthening institutional capacity and promoting legislative accountability across Africa.
The conference is being held under the theme: “Oversight for Resilience: Strengthening Public Accounts Committees for Accountability in a Changing Financial Landscape.”
The theme, he observed, raises important questions about how African parliaments can ensure the integrity of public resources amid growing fiscal pressures and competing development priorities.
Urges African leaders to protect public resources
Concluding his address, Afenyo-Markin reminded delegates that the responsibility of safeguarding public resources extends beyond parliamentary debates and audit reports.
He called for stronger institutions capable of preventing financial losses before they occur, rather than relying solely on investigations after public funds have been mismanaged.
He urged African parliamentarians to recognise the expectations placed on them by citizens and strengthen oversight systems that promote transparency, accountability and resilience across the continent.
“Africa is counting on us,” he told delegates, urging them to rise to the occasion and deliver effective oversight for the continent.
