Kofi Adams, a member of the defense committee of Parliament has asked the MP for Dome-Kwabenya Sara Adwoa Sarfo to make herself available to the privileges committee over her protracted absence in the house.
Adwoa Safo has been under severe criticism for her continuous absence from Parliament with the Speaker of the House, Alban Bagbin denying media reports suggesting that he had granted her permission to absent herself.
She has subsequently been hauled to the privileges committee together with three other MPs – Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central, Kennedy Agyapong (Assin Central) and Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West.
“Let me say that it’s unfortunate that this matter has come to this point. We have laws that must be obeyed, you fill a form to be elected to represent your people, and you have a constitutional provision and standing orders that must be obeyed. And the standing order is very clear as to the number of days one could continuously absent themselves from sitting without permission,” Adams told Asaase News.
Adams, who doubles as MP for Buem, advised his colleague on the opposite side to take steps to contact the privileges committee.
“She has so many channels through which she can do so. She can speak to the Speaker’s office directly, she knows who the chair of the privileges committee is because it’s the First Deputy Speaker that has always chaired that committee [so] she can reach out to the chair,” he said.
“I believe she was around when the committees were formed so she knows who the ranking of the committee is, she can reach out to her leadership, the majority group or if she so desires she can reach out to the Minority because they are all part of leadership to find out how maybe she could make herself available; or whichever means she could be interviewed or spoken to because this days we are in a technological world where you can do zoom meetings.”
According to Adams, the absence of Adwoa Safo and others is affecting the hung Parliament.
“We are waiting for her to give reasons because they say it is only when your reasons are not justifiable. The absence of any single person affects any business that calls for numbers, and because every number is important that is why the absence is felt.”
Listen to excerpts of the interview in the audio file below:
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