Today in History: What Adwoa Safo told Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu before going 'AWOL'

Around this time in 2022, there was a lot of talk about the absence of the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo.

The MP, who had been absent from parliament and the country for a long period, had been said to have been away because she wanted some things done for her.

In one those instances, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, had shared details of one of the lasty communications he had had with her.

Among others, the Majority Leader said that Sarah Adwoa Safo had told him that she was handling some issues pertaining to the schooling of her children.

Read the full original story as first published by GhanaWeb on Thursday, February 24, 2022, below:

The Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has described the reasons given by the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, for her continuous absence as unclear.

The absence of Adwoa Safo from parliament has led to various allegations including claims by some members of the New Patriotic Party who say she is deliberately trying to sabotage government business.

Speaking on Peace FM’s morning show on February 24, 2022, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, noted that Adwoa Safo’s absence which dates back to sometime in August last year was attributed to issues surrounding her children’s education.

“It was in August last year that she informed us she was travelling abroad to move her children from their current school to a new one. From that time to the 10th month when we were resuming for the third meeting of parliament, she didn’t return. We thought she was going to come but she didn’t show up until the session was about ending until we all saw her come," he said.

According to the majority leader, Adwoa Safo again mentioned her children’s school and the need to find a specialist for her son who had fractured his hand in an accident as the reason for her absence. This reason he says was given when she returned during the Budget approval in December 2021 before recess.

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted that while it is assumed that the MP has been able to deal with the issues with her children’s schools, she has failed to return to parliament after the December break.

“We went on break for the Christmas and three days into the break, she informed us that the issue with her children’s school had not been finalized and therefore she wanted to go and conclude with the arrangement because the children are now being homeschooled. We told her that we were to resume on January 17 and she said she will return by then.

“We extended it by a week to January 26 and we were looking forward to her return. But we have waited till today and she is not back yet. When you speak to her, she keeps bringing up issues on the children’s schooling. That’s the truth but before God she is not making things clear on exactly why she has not returned,” he noted.