Ghanaians hail Speaker Bagbin over brilliant ruling on absentee MPs

Following the ruling by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin that Parliament’s plenary should debate and decide on the report by the Committee of Privileges on the three absentee Members of Parliament, a host of Ghanaians are praising his wisdom. Happy citizens have variously called the ruling “brilliant,” “wise” and “sagacious” among others. “That was a vintage Speaker Bagbin for you; rolling the matter further through due process so that the constitution is served and the rule of law is further enhanced,” said Mr. Francis Anyidoho, a political enthusiast of Tema. According to him, “I was looking forward to a sagacious ruling from the Speaker and I could not be happier with what the Speaker did. Referring the matter to plenary is like putting democracy on second gear because no matter how bad an MP has been in Parliament, he is a representative of constituents and only plenary should be able to remove him or her.” Assin Central MP, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Ayawaso Central MP, Henry Quartey and MP for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, had earlier been referred by the Speaker to the Privileges Committee to explain the reasons for their absenteeism. The three MPs absented themselves for more than 15 sittings during the first meeting of the second session of Parliament without permission from the Speaker. And so, in line with the Standing Orders, the three absentee MPs were referred to the Privileges Committee to explain why they absented themselves for 15 days in alleged violation of Article 97(1) (c) of the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament. The Committee would then refer the matter back to the Speaker with the recommendation that Adwoa Safo’s seat be declared vacant. However, in a ruling on Wednesday morning, the Speaker, Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin said the House should debate whether or not the seat of the Dome-Kwabenya MP, Sara Adwoa Safo should be declared vacant. He therefore said the report of Privileges Committee which recommended that the seat be declared vacant should be adopted and debated by the plenary for the final decision on the fate of the MP to be taken. The Majority Leader, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu reacting, expressed disagreement with the Speaker's ruling. “Rt. Hon. Bagbin said that the decision to declare the seat of an MP who had absented himself or herself for 15 sittings of a meeting rested with the plenary and not a committee. This is beautiful,” said Kofi Mensah, a youth activist. According to him, “by this, the Speaker overruled the presumptuousness of the Committee and restored the proper democratic process.” On his part, Torgbe Agama, of Anglo said the Speaker’s ruling is, “a highly commendable precept that he has set for Parliament.”