15 deputies were found to give up work after "time"

General News on Thursday, June 13, 2019

Source: Myjoyonline.com

2019-06-13

At least 15 MPs have repeatedly abandoned their parliamentary functions after coming to check their names on the attendance list.

The first Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, made this revelation in the House after the matter was raised by the NDC MP for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Gyata George.

The NDC MP complained after MPs were asked to sign a register. "Mr. Speaker, this is an honorable chamber … can we all tell the truth to ourselves and to God that if we take today's votes and deliberation, the names shown as being present are really present in this enclosure "?

He said the practice is ubiquitous even at committee meetings. "Even the address of the state of the nation to which they do not even attend," observed the first deputy.

"We really have to look at this carefully and find a better way to mark the members present," he said, warning that honest MPs might be forced to join the bad practice.

The First Vice President said that this behavior raises questions about the integrity of the MPs. But he would not mention names.

He however indicated that he would scratch the names of these deputies from the attendance list whenever this attitude would be observed.

The scenes in parliament regularly show an exhausted room despite a heavy workload.

On March 3, 2019, the Speaker of Parliament was dismayed that only 15 members of the 275-seat Chamber reported for work when he took office.

MP absenteeism is a recurring theme in his opening speeches when Parliament meets again.

There is a website, Odekro.org, dedicated to monitoring the participation of MPs.

Odekro, a parliamentary-based civil society organization, published a 50-page report that revealed that state ministers who served as parliamentarians were absent more often than MPs without posts. of minister.

As "punitive measures", Odekro suggests that "deputies who have proved to have no valid excuse for absentee without written authorization from 15 sessions should be asked to leave their seats in accordance with the law." Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. "