“We did not just stop at opening the doors to facilitate entry into our Chamber. We opened the windows for more ventilation and sunshine in a House which was becoming stuffy.”
This was how the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, described how he has used strategic public relations to hand Ghana’s Parliament over to ordinary Ghanaians.
Delivering the keynote address at the 2026 National PR Summit at Capital View Hotel, Koforidua, on the theme “Public Relations and Leadership Readiness”, the Speaker said his leadership focused on demystifying the Fourth Republican Parliament through an Open Parliament Action Plan.
According to him, the plan was anchored on deliberate communication reforms, including the establishment of Parliament TV for live broadcast of sittings and committee work, extensive live-streaming on social media platforms, and the introduction of sign language interpretation during proceedings.
He listed other initiatives as the Democracy Cup to connect Parliament with the youth through sports, the Editors’ Forum to engage media gatekeepers, Parliament Connect, Citizens in Focus and the innovative Parliament Aayalolo to engage citizens directly where they are.
The Speaker disclosed that the reforms have yielded significant results, with more than 20,500 educational visitors to Parliament in 2025 alone, and Ghana’s Parliament being adjudged the most open unicameral Parliament in Africa in 2022 and 2024 by the Open Parliament Index.
He credited PR professionals within the Parliamentary Service as the engineers and drivers of the widely acclaimed initiatives, noting that strategic communication has become central to parliamentary democracy and public trust.
The summit, which runs from October 22 to 24, has brought together over 300 participants including the Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Hajia Shamima Muslim, Presidential Staffer, Nana Yaa Jantuah, and the President of IPR Ghana and IPRA, Ms. Esther A. N. Cobbah.
By Robert Dela Mawuenyegah, (Member, IPR Ghana)//Newswatchgh.com
