Former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak has lashed at the Minority in Parliament for challenging the Speaker’s referral of absentee MPs to the Privileges Committee.
Speaking to Francis Abban on Morning Starr Wednesday, Mr. Mubarak said the Minority cannot say they are unaware of the truant MPs in the House and the sanctions that should apply.
“That is a worrying and disgraceful posture of the Minority. Because the leadership has hinted that no member of the Minority will support the petition and the referral and I find that most unfortunate.
“We all know that breaches have occasioned and people have violated the Constitution and they the Minority Leader and the Chief Whip having taken the oath of office and to protect the Constitution should be at the forefront of righting the wrong,” he stated.
He continued “So there has been an issue in the public and you take zero interest as the official opposition party in Parliament. Issue of public and breach of the Constitution you’ve taken zero interest in defending the Constitution.”
The former Kumbungu MP in March petitioned the Speaker of Parliament Alban S.K. Bagbin to declare some four seats in the lawmaking chamber vacant.
Mr. Mubarak in his petition mentioned some Members of Parliament who he says have been absent for some time now and fall foul of the laws in Parliament.
“It has come to my notice through parliament’s Hansard, and newspaper and radio report 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 disclosed in the petition.
The Speaker in acting on the petition on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 referred three Members of Parliament on the Majority side to the Privileges Committee for absenting themselves for more than 15 days without permission.
Dome Kwabenya MP Sara Adwoa Safo, Ayawaso West MP and Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey and Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong will have to provide a convincing explanation to the Privileges Committee chaired by first Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu in order to keep their jobs as MPs.
The move, however, has been resisted by the Minority side of the House.
