Let public officers work, we are ready for accountability-Agalga to Minority

Majority Leader James Agalga has urged the Minority in Parliament to allow public officers to carry out their responsibilities without undue interference, insisting that the government is prepared to account for its actions.

He cautioned the Minority against pre-empting the outcome of government decisions and calling for independent audits before the established accountability processes have been exhausted.

His remarks follow calls by the Minority for independent audits of various government actions, arguing that such scrutiny is necessary to ensure transparency and accountability.

Speaking in Parliament while responding to the Minority's position on government actions, Mr Agalga said the Majority would not protect any public official found to have engaged in wrongdoing, but maintained that officers must be given the space to perform their duties.

“Let them do their work. And when they are done, and there are infractions, we will not shield anybody as the Majority. But not until then, let's not resort to demonstrations." he said.

"But please, why are you pre-empting matters?” he asked.

He explained that existing parliamentary oversight mechanisms already provide an avenue for examining the conduct and financial decisions of public officials.

According to him, the Auditor-General's reports are submitted to Parliament for scrutiny, with the Minority chairing the relevant Public Accounts Committee responsible for examining issues raised in the reports.

He therefore questioned the need for the Minority to demand independent audits of every government action, arguing that such calls risk anticipating the work of established accountability institutions.

Mr Agalga reiterated that the Majority was open to scrutiny and would support accountability where wrongdoing was established.

He urged the Minority to make use of its oversight responsibilities rather than rush to conclusions about government actions before the appropriate institutions had completed their work.