Sarah Adwoa Safo
CHAIRMAN OF the Privileges Committee of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has directed a publication of summons to Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, in all relevant media.
This comes after all attempts by the committee to reach her to appear before it to answer on her absence from Parliament for more than 15 sittings, without written permission from the Speaker, proved unsuccessful.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker, who is currently domiciling in USA, was referred to the Committee of Privileges in April this year alongside the MP for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey, and the Assin Central MP, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, over alleged delinquency.
In a statement released on Tuesday night and signed by Parliament’s Director of Public Affairs, Kate Addo, the Committee explained that the summons form part of its work, referred to it by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, pursuant to Article 97(1) (c) of the Constitution, and Orders 15 and 16 (l) of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
According to the statement, the Committee is to consider and report to the House on the absence of the MP from Parliament for more than 15 sittings, without permission in writing of the Speaker, during the First Meeting of the Second Session of the Eight Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
“The Committee has employed all available means, both official and unofficial to serve the Member with an invitation letter, including sending the invitation letter to her office and pigeonhole in Parliament, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, where she superintends as the Sector Minister, her official email addresses, known social media handles, and through her Personal Assistant,” the release indicated.
It stated that the publication of summons was pursuant to Article 103(6) of the Constitution and Order 205 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Article 103(6) of the 1992 Constitution says, “A committee [of Parliament] appointed under this article shall have the powers, rights and privileges of the High Court or a Justice of the High Court at a trial for (a) enforcing the attendance of witnesses and examining them on oath, affirmation or otherwise.”
The statement said the MP is scheduled to appear before the Committee on July 6, 2022 at 12:00 noon at Parliament House, New Administration Block, Committee Room I, 2 & 3.
“The Honourable Member may choose to honour the summons via zoom,” the statement posited.
Background
Speaker Bagbin, in referring the three MPs to the Committee, said evidence made available to him by the “table office indicates that three Hon. Members have so far absented themselves in this meeting for more than 15 sitting days without permission, as recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.
“Consequently, as it’s my understanding of the provisions of Article 97(1) (c) and Order 16(1) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, and the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Prof. Stephen Kawaka Asare vs. Attorney General and three others, I hereby refer the said Honourable Members to the Committee of Privileges for consideration and report to the House.”
He continued, “Since today (Tuesday) is the last sitting day of the meeting, I refer it to the committee, and I expect that the committee will submit its report two weeks after the House reconvenes.”
“I trust that the Committee of Privileges will consider this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves, as the public interest in this matter is amazed. More importantly, we make the law, and we must be seen to be obeying and complying with the laws we make,” he added.
The Speaker said the legislature has to set leadership by example, and “I strongly believe this is one of the cases we must show commitment to what the people have elected us to do.”
He indicated that a search on the attendance of members from the commencement of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic, conducted by the table office on the First Session, was interesting and revealing, and said MPs needed to take the attendance to Parliament more seriously.
“The First Session of the House has already expired, and unfortunately this issue of absenteeism was not addressed in any of the three meetings of that session. I consider that it will be improper,” he noted.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House