The Rt. Hon. Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin, has described as fake news, rumours going around which suggests that he is shielding the embattled Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Adwoa Safo, for absenting herself from Parliament for the most part of the first meeting of this year.
The Speaker stated categorically that he has not granted any permission to the Member of Parliament to absent herself from Parliament on Health grounds as has been suggested.
According to him, he has been inundated with phone calls from media houses seeking for further clarification from him on a news item which alleged that he had granted an interview in which he stated that he has granted permission to the MP on health grounds.
Mr. Bagbin defused the allegation on the Floor of the House on Thursday, February 24, 2022, when he took over the Chair from the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah after question time.
He said, “It is important I defuse some fake news which is being circulated that I granted an interview to say that, Hon. Adwoa Safo received permission from me to absent herself from Parliament on health grounds. I want it to be known by all that I have not granted any such interview anywhere; I have not said anything like that anywhere.
He emphasized that the Speaker does not determine the list of absenteeism but rather the Votes and Proceedings of the House is the right source for that.
“And the votes and proceedings of the House are so loud that, she is absent without permission for all those days. That is on the Votes and Proceedings of the House. It is not the Speaker who determines who is present and who is absent, no.
“The Votes and Proceedings will capture those who are present; those who are absent; and the who are absent with permission. And so, please, I received a lot of calls from media men on that issue,” he said.
Sara Adwoa Safo has come under a lot of flake from her own party members, for absenting herself beyond the 15 sitting day limit set in the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament.
This has become necessary because the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) members have openly stated that the Dome Kwabenya MP is holding the party to ransom in Parliament by refusing to come and help the Government take some important decisions on the Floor including the crucial passage of the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
