Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, a ranking member of the Privileges Committee of Parliament has said the committee will in the coming days liaise with the MP for Dome-Kwabenya Sarah Adwoa Safo to fix a new date to hear her.
Adwoa Safo on Thursday told Accra-based Joy FM that she is yet to receive any official notification from the committee over her protracted absence from Parliament.
Talking to Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on The Asaase Breakfast Show on the development on Friday (27 May), Ricketts-Hagan said: “What happened yesterday after Henry Quartey’s appearance, is that the chairman also indicated to us that the NPP is having its regional executive election across the country, so they will not be available for today’s meeting, because they are going to their constituencies to participate in the election.”
“And so therefore Adwoa Safo’s meeting today will be cancelled. So that was communicated to the clerk to reach her and cancel the meeting and discuss with her, her availability to fix a new date and inform the committee,” he said.
“And so that presumably will happen today, but if she didn’t get an invite then obviously she would not have appeared today, but what happened yesterday with the interview saying that she didn’t receive anything, that is not what I go by. I will go to the clerk today and find out whether they got any verbal or written notice that she will appear or not and on what basis did they fix a date for us to meet her,” Ricketts-Hagan added.
Petition
The former MP of Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak, in March this year petitioned Parliament over the continuous absence of four lawmakers without permission.
The MPs are Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central; Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West; and Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central.
Mubarak said the basis for his petition is due to the fact that the MPs in question have breached the rules of engagement.
“I write to petition your high office to respectfully enforce the provisions of article 97(1)c of the 1992 constitution of Ghana and parliament’s Standing Order number 16(1).
“It has come to my notice through parliament’s Hansard, and newspaper and radio reports that some four Members of Parliament, namely Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Hon. Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central; Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West; and Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central have all absented themselves from Parliament for more than fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament without the permission of Mr. Speaker in writing.
“In view of this reported breach of the constitutional provision, I respectfully petition your high office to direct for their conduct to be referred to the Privileges Committee for consideration and necessary action,” he said.
Below is the full petition:
The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament,
Parliament House, Osu
Accra.
2nd March 2022.
Dear Mr. Speaker,
PETITION TO ENFORCE ARTICLE 97(1)C OF 1992 CONSTITUTION:
I write to petition your high office to respectfully enforce the provisions of article 97(1)c of the 1992 constitution of Ghana and parliament’s Standing Order number 16(1).
It has come to my notice through parliament’s Hansard, and newspaper and radio reports that some four Members of Parliament, namely Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Hon. Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central; Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West; and Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central have all absented themselves from Parliament for more than fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament without the permission of Mr. Speaker in writing.
In view of this reported breach of the constitutional provision, I respectfully petition your high office to direct for their conduct to be referred to the Privileges Committee for consideration and necessary action.
Mr. Speaker may recall that in the 7th Parliament, the people of Lower West Akyem did not have representation in Parliament for nearly two years, as their then MP had been absent for more than fifteen sittings of several meetings of Parliament without the permission of Mr. Speaker in writing.
Leadership of the House at the time swept the the absence of the MP, which conduct breached the 1992 constitution and Standing Order 16(1) of the Standing Orders of Parliament under the rug.
The Standing Orders of Parliament is not clear as to who can or should raise the matter of absenteeism on the floor of the House for a debate and or referral by Mr. Speaker to the Committee on Privileges. But it is incidences like this, if unattended to that threaten our democracy. According to the Afrobarometer data, trust in Parliament has fallen by 12% between 2002 and 2019. The report ranked Parliament as the third corrupt institution in our country – just behind the Police and Judges.
I humbly submit that democracy can only work if Parliament puts the common good ahead of party and personal interest. At a time of seeming collapse of trust in politics and Parliament as an institution, it is my fervent prayer that the House would rise to the occasion and be UNITED on this matter, so as to uphold our constitution and also win back waned public confidence.
Ras Mubarak
NTHC Prestige Homes,
South Side, Otanor
Accra.
cc:
1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Parliament House, Osu.
2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Parliament House, Osu.
The Majority Leader, Parliament House, Osu
The Minority Leader, Parliament House, Osu
The Majority Chief Whip Parliament House, Osu.
The Minority Chief Whip, Parliament House, Osu.
Fred Dzakpata
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