Sarah Adwoa Safo
Confusion has erupted in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) over whether or not to sack its Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, from the party.
It follows her continuous absence from Parliament which is believed to be deliberate attempt to stifle government business in the House to succumb to her whims.
Her baby father and colleague MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who has been on her case for the last couple of days, claims Adwoa, who was granted sick leave by the President from her duties as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, is resorting to such tactics to blackmail the government to grant her wishes.
But National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, speaking to DAILY GUIDE in an interview, said the party will not take any hasty decision on its Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, over her absence in Parliament.
According to him, Sarah Adwoa Safo sought leave of absence to address some health issues.
Speaking on Accra-based Asaase Radio yesterday, Mr. Blay called on the rank and file of the party to appreciate the situation in which Ms. Safo currently finds herself, stressing, “I know that she asked for a period off to take care of some health issues, and so let’s not make any hasty decisions.”
The NPP Chairman was concerned that issues surrounding Adwoa Safo’s absence had become topical, when it should have been dealt with internally by the party.
“It is unfortunate that Adwoa Safo’s matter is in the public domain, but I will like to say that at the end of the day, parliamentary proceedings must continue. A resolution will be reached. She represents a people, a constituency.”
“She is there (in Parliament) to advocate their issues and implement [the] government’s developmental agenda and so she owes them a duty,” Mr. Blay indicated.
Absence from Parliament
The NPP MP for Dome-Kwabenya has continuously absented herself for 15 sittings of the Second Meeting of the 8th Parliament with permission which has since expired, and her attempt to get it renewed has reportedly proved futile.
Ms. Adwoa Safo reportedly wrote to the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, in the absence of Speaker Bagbin, to grant her an extension of leave on medical grounds, but the then acting Speaker purportedly turned down the request on basis that she did not attach relevant documents to back her request.
While she remains absent from the chamber, the MP has been seen on social media platform, TikTok, entertaining herself, sparking further heated debate.
Article 97 (1) (c) says, “A Member of Parliament shall vacate his/her seat in Parliament if he/she is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker and he/she is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from 15 sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet.”
Allegation of Sabotage
In her absence, the question of whether she stays or goes out of Parliament has become a national conversation.
Two of her colleagues from the NPP Majority Caucus, Kennedy Agyapong, Assin Central MP and Michael Kofi Okyere Baafi, New Juabeng South MP have both made comments on the issue.
They alluded to the fact that the Dome-Kwabenya MP might be attempting to sabotage her own government over reasons best known to her.
Mr. Agyapong, who has two children with the absentee MP, said there is a lot of discontent among party faithful, with her constituents seething about what has been going on and insulting him, in particular, for having campaigned for her to win the seat in the last elections.
He has called for her seat to be declared vacant in line with Article 97 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, while Mr. Baafi has said Adwoa Safo is causing the problems of the NPP government in Parliament by her continuous absence from the sittings of the House.
Mr. Okyere Baafi also said recently that Adwoa Safo wanted to get back her Deputy Majority Leader position, which is currently occupied by Alexander Afenyo-Markin of Effutu, and claimed because of that, she was holding the NPP to ransom.
Nothing Automatic
But there is nothing automatic about what will happen next in spite of the calls for her seat to be declared vacant by members of her party, since there is no consensus among MPs from both sides.
Some opposition NDC MPs have strangely jumped to the defence of the Dome-Kwabenya MP, noting that Adwoa Safo is not to be blamed for the inability of the Majority Caucus to carry out Government Business.
First Deputy Whip of the Minority, Ahmed Ibrahim, said Adwoa Safo is the least problem of the Majority Caucus, and indicated that “It is not as if the absence of Adwoa Safo or the Speaker Bagbin that is why the E-Levy is not being passed.”
“If Adwoa Safo comes today, their numbers will still be down because they can’t build consensus on E-Levy as a Majority side,” he added.
NDC MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also wrote on his social media platform that he was confused about the sincerity of the calls for Adwoa’s removal, and described the basis as discriminatory and “unprincipled” attacks on the legislator.
He said Kennedy Agyapong, who has been leading the charge for Adwoa’s removal because of absenteeism, is equally guilty of the same offence.
He alleged that the NPP MP for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey and Kennedy Agyapong, absented themselves for more than two weeks last year, pointing out that the Votes and Proceedings of the House would confirm the absentee status of all the three.
“The unprincipled discrimination against Sarah Adwoa Safo by her own colleagues simply because of obnoxious of E-Levy must cease forthwith,” Okudzeto Ablakwa submitted.
Speaker
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has meanwhile described as fake, news making rounds on various social media platforms that he had said Adwoa Sarfo asked permission from him.
Mr. Bagbin was reported to have said he has a written note from the MP asking for permission on health grounds, and that “Parliament is aware of her health conditions, she did not violate Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution.”
But on the floor of Parliament yesterday, the Speaker said it is not for the Speaker to determine who is present or absent in the House, pointing out that “the Votes and Proceedings will capture those who are present, those who are absent, and those who are absent with permission.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu & Charles Takyi-Boadu