One of the leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and a former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, has agreed with the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, that MPs who leave parliament without permission are vacating their seats.

The Speaker had made this statement in reference to the en masse decision of all the MPs on the Minority side of the House to boycott all sittings of parliament on days that their colleagues currently facing different trials in court appear for hearings.

The three MPs are Collins Dauda, MP for Asutifi South; James Gyakye Quayson, MP for Assin North; and Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako Enyan Essiam, and Minority Leader.

Reacting to the decision by his former colleagues, Inusah Fuseini said that all of the MPs know that what they are doing is not legal.

“The Minority Caucus are very much aware that there is no provision in the Standing Orders that allows them to abandon parliament. And so, the Speaker is right. And so, if you want to leave parliament, and still want to be counted and the 15-day rule will not apply to you, then you must leave parliament with the permission of the Speaker. That’s what we call leave of absence with permission,” he stated in the Citi TV interview and monitored by GhanaWeb.

Inusah Fuseini, who is also a former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, however stated that the NDC MPs cannot be faulted entirely for this decision.

He explained that it is an emotive that anybody would have been involved in if they were found in the same shoes.



“Now, what the Minority have done is a matter of the heart; it’s emotive… and so for me, three members of the Minority are standing trial for various offences. Apart from Gyakye Quayson, two of them were former appointees of the NDC… so what has befallen Collins Dauda, or Ato Forson, could befall any of them. So, it is important to show solidarity; it’s important to stand with them,” he stated.

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AE/WA