Adwoa Safo, Ken Agyapong, Henry Quartey dragged to Privileges Committee

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has referred three members of parliament to the Privileges Committee over absenteeism.

Dome Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo, Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyepong and Ayawaso Central MP Henry Quartey have absented themselves for more than 15 sittings.

Failing to provide good reasons to the committee chaired by First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu will mean the House will automatically vote to decide their fate as MPs.

The Speaker of Parliament, who issued the directive on Tuesday, April 5, said the absence of the MPs without his permission constitutes a breach of the rules of the House.

Mr Bagbin urged the committee to provide its report to the House two weeks after the House reconvenes from recess.

Although the Speaker of Parliament did not reveal the petitioner on the Floor of Parliament, it will be recalled that a former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak, petitioned the Speaker over absenteeism on the part of some legislators sometime in March 2022.

Mr Mubarak cited four MPs; Dome-Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo; Ayawaso Central MP, Henry Quartey; MP for Ahanta West, Ebenezer Kojo Kum; and Assin Central MP, Ken Ohene Agyapong.

He said the MPs had flouted provisions of Article 97 (1) (c) of the Constitution and Parliament’s Standing Order 16 (1), which frowns on members absenting themselves for 15 sitting days without permission from the Speaker.

Per Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat “if he is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker, and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet.”