Executive Director of the Parliamentary Network Africa, Sammy Obeng, has intimated that the Speaker of Parliament referring the three absented Members of Parliament to the Privileges Committee has been long overdue.

However, Mr. Sammy Obeng averred it is better late than never because the matter of MPs absenteeism to Parliament has been one that, for many years, has been on the radar of Civil Societies, citizens and Parliament itself. He disclosed that there has been many research papers that basically assessed attendance of Parliament in previous Parliaments but had not been taken seriously.

“In this Particular Parliament, this matter has come up severally. The Speaker’s decision I think it is long overdue.”
Sammy Obeng

According to Mr. Obeng, it was his expectation that Members of Parliament who raised the issue in the public domain would have used the appropriate channel being the Chamber of Parliament to voice their concerns so that the referral would have been made a long time ago.

“They failed to do so, so did all other Members of Parliament. The Speaker in my opinion had at this point no other option than to rely on some petitions that he had received from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), to cause this to happen.”
Sammy Obeng

We are not above the law- Speaker to MPs — Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin

Speaker’s move is in the right direction

Mr. Obeng assented to the move as being one taken in the right direction although it has been too late. He indicated that this directive is not a populace decision although Members of Parliament have a principal relationship with citizens.

“We have given them a role to go play on our behalf. If their role which requires that they are in attendance to Parliament consistently, is reneged upon and they do not attend, it cannot be by populace decision that they are being called to account for or to order, to do exactly what they have been mandated to do, which is to be in Parliament to legislate, to represent their people and to oversee the Executive branch.”
Sammy Obeng

Moreover, he averred this move by the Speaker will prove to be one of the very major steps in resolving the issue of absenteeism by Members of Parliament. He stated that this will be a very good case for Parliament to be tested in its willingness to ensure that, as makers of the law, they themselves respect the laws.

“The Speaker in his address to Parliament on this issue, sort to lay out a step by step approach and recommendations on how this matter needs to be dealt with. And I think that once these matters are dealt with by the Committee, and the House and the President is well set, it helps to guide successive Parliaments in the way it goes about things like this.”
Sammy Obeng

Mr. Obeng’s comments followed the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, referring three Members of Parliament to the Privileges Committee for absenteeism. The MPs are the Dome Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo; MP For Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong. The Speaker also added the Greater Accra Minister, Henry Quartey to the list for absenting himself for more than 15 days without permission.