Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, will rule on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, on the fate of Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament Sarah Adwoa Safo.
The speaker deferred his ruling on whether the Dome-Kwabenya seat should be declared vacant or not following Ms Safo’s failure to honour a meeting by the Privileges Committee on her continuous absence from Parliament.
Adwoa Safo is among three members of Parliament who were hauled before the Privilege’s Committee for absenting themselves from Parliament without permission.
Though the other members Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central and Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central, appeared before the Committee, the Dome-Kwabenya legislator failed to appear.
She attributed her long absence from Parliament to family issues, saying, among others, that her son was unwell.
In its conclusion, the Committee, by a majority decision, decided that “Hon Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and Hon Henry Quartey admitted having absented themselves for more than the fifteen Sittings threshold. However, the explanations given by Hon Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and Hon Henry Quartey for being absent were found reasonable”.
“With regards to Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo, in spite of all the efforts made to invite her to attend upon the Committee, the Hon Member did not appear before the Committee to provide the reasons for her absence from the House without written permission for more than the fifteen Sittings threshold.
“By the provisions of Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution, the onus is on Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo to provide a reasonable explanation to the Privileges Committee why she shall not vacate her Seat, for having absented herself for forty-two (42) Sittings, during the period under consideration.
“The Minority members on the Committee concede that reasonable efforts were made to get Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo to appear before the Committee. However, the Minority members are of the view that the lack of response of Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo to the numerous invitations of the Committee should be reported to the House without any conclusions.
“The above notwithstanding, the Majority was of the view that Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo failed to take advantage of the numerous opportunities and facilities offered to her to provide a reasonable explanation to the Committee about her absence without leave.
“Therefore, pursuant to Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution and the Court of Appeal decision in the case of Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare v the Attorney General & 3 Ors, the Dome-Kwabenya should be declared vacant.”