Absenteeism in Parliament: Speaker delivers ruling on Adwoa Safo and two other MPs

The expulsion of Dome Kwabenya Member of Parliament Sarah Adowa Safo will be discussed in Parliament, according to Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin.

On Wednesday, October 26, Speaker Bagbin announced his decision in Parliament.

He stated, “The house is well within its jurisdiction to hear and examine the findings from the committee and to make a resolution.

“It is for the House that will go through it because the mandate given to an MP, representation is so crucial that it cannot be left to the subjective view of any person or group of people but the whole house,” On Wednesday, Speaker Bagbin made the following remarks.

“It is my ruling that motion be was rightfully admitted.”

In the eyes of the Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, this was not acceptable.

The verdict, according to the Suame MP who also serves as majority leader, is regrettable.

“I am expressing my discomfort with this unfortunate ruling that you have made. I totally disagree. I think it doesn’t sit with the Constitution and with your own earlier statements that you made in this House relating to those same things. Very inconsistent,” he responded.

He and the Speaker got into another altercation over this response since the Speaker did not take the remark lightly.

A retraction was requested by Alban Bagbin, and the MP reluctantly complied.

Sarah Adwoa Safo took a leave of absence that was longer than the required 15 days.

Although the Minority believed she should be heard first, the Majority caucus wanted her seat to be declared vacant.

The Speaker questioned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs’ legitimacy in vacating her position.

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the majority leader, revealed Sarah Adwoa Safo’s request for a one-month leave of absence from the House in March.

The Speaker then forwarded her case, along with those of two other MPs—Henry Quartey of Ayawaso Central and Kennedy Agyapong of Assin Central—to the Privileges Committee for consideration.

Prior to the end of the session, Speaker Bagbin postponed making a decision on the issue, though he later made a commitment to do so.

The Speaker informed the House in writing on Tuesday that he had postponed the decision until Wednesday because there wasn’t much to do right after the assumption.

 

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com/Louis Gyamerah