Some Members of Parliament (MPs) have expressed varied opinions to the Speaker of Parliament’s ruling on the fate of some three Members of the house over absenteeism.
The Speaker, Alban Bagbin’s on Wednesday referred the report of the Privileges Committee asking for the declaration of the seat of the MP for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo and two others as vacant to the plenary for a determination on the matter.
In his ruling, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin said, “the preliminary objection for the admissibility of the report is hereby dismissed in limine.”
Members are divided over the ruling. Whilst the Majority which is pushing for the seats to be declared thinks the Speaker erred in his ruling, the Minority side believes the Speaker’s decision is apt.
“The Speaker was presiding, and the Privileges Committee is a Committee of the house so once it is charged to go and do something, the recommendation of the committee shall be in the form of a report to be presented to the house which they have done so clearly, so what the speaker is saying is that, the right thing must be done”, one of the MPs said.
The three MPs are Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central; Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso West, and Adwoa Safo; MP for Dome Kwabenya.
They had been referred to the Privileges Committee for absenting themselves from Parliament beyond the permissible period without any reason.
The Majority in Parliament has been pushing to have Adwoa Safo vacate her seat because she has been out of the country for most parts of the year.
Kennedy Agyapong and Henry Quartey appeared before the committee and attributed their absence to ill health, but Adwoa Safo failed to honour the summons and the option of a virtual appearance.
“The Committee cannot take a decision, they have come to the plenary for a debate on its report then a decision is taken, so I think that, the Speaker is on the right path”, another legislator suggested.
The Majority was left upset with the Speaker of Parliament’s ruling and said it would challenge it with a substantive motion.
The Majority Leader, on the floor of Parliament, further accused the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, of pandering to the Minority in Parliament, which has been opposed to making the Dome Kwabenya seat vacant.
One other opined, “as a member of the committee, it is the Speaker that has to make that decision and not the house debating it.”
