The Parliamentary Network Africa has urged the leadership of the Parliament to crack the whip on absentee Members of Parliament.
This comes on the back of Minority Members of Parliament abandoning Parliament for various businesses outside the House on Tuesday June 20, 2023.
Some MPs were reported to have accompanied the Minority Leader of Parliament, Cassel Ato Forson to court among others.
Parliament was forced to abandon proceedings on Friday, June 16, 2023 following a decision by New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament to accompany Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to file his nomination forms to contest for the flagbearer slot of the party.
The house could not constitute the 93 members needed to form a quorum to transact business.
Commenting on the development on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, the Executive Director for Parliamentary Network Africa (PN Africa), Sammy Obeng stated that the reason for the continuous reports of MPs absenting themselves is because the rules have not been applied.
“Everybody understands that the name of the game is the next election to be able to win and retain your seat and what have you. But we also know that there is business that should go on in Parliament. One of the reasons for all these come down to leadership, the institute of Parliament is such that if you do not show commitment to fight the canker of absenteeism in Parliament.
“We still have Members of Parliament who were crony absentees who were summoned before a Committee of Parliament who has the report ready and the House itself including the Speakership. They are still dilly dallying around what to do and how to progress on this particular matter,” Mr. Obeng stated.
He continued: If I know that the institution that I belong to, I can go scout free with some of these things because we will muddy the waters with politics, I will continue to take the system for granted. The House must stop lamenting and usually what happens is we hear people who are sitting in the chair, Speaker, Deputy Speaker lamenting and brooding about absenteeism and their colleagues not coming and whatever. Meanwhile, they have the power to crack the whip. So they should do their job.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
