The MP for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong has said his long absence without leave from Parliament was due to ill-health.
Appearing before the privileges committee of Parliament on Wednesday (15 June), the maverick politician presented health documents to support his claim.
Agyapong and two other lawmakers have been summoned by the committee to justify why they have been absent from the first meeting of the second session of the eighth Parliament for well over the stipulated 15 days.
A former MP for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak in March petitioned Parliament over the continuous absence of three lawmakers namely Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central, and Kennedy Agyapong (Assin Central).
The Speaker Alban Bagbin referred the petition to the privileges committee. The committee will reconvene on 6 July to hear Quartey and Safo.
Per Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat “if he is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker, and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet.”
Hide-and-seek
The chairman of the Privileges Committee of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Wusu has directed that summons for the MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Adwoa Safo to appear before the committee over protracted absenteeism should now be published in the media.
A statement issued and signed by the director of public affairs of Parliament Kate Addo said all attempts to reach the Dome-Kwabenya MP have proven futile.
“This comes after all attempts to reach the Honorable Member by the Committee failed,” Addo said in a statement dated 14 June.
“The summons form part of the committee’s work, referred to it by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, pursuant to Article 97(1)(c) of the Constitution, and Orders 15 and 16 (1) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, for consideration and report to the House, on the absence of the member from Parliament for more than fifteen Sittings, without permission in writing to the Speaker, during the First Meeting of the Second Session of the Eight Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana,” the statement said.
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