We are in govt and must set good example -NPP MP

He blames compatriots for truancy

The NPP member for Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa, Paul Appiah-Ofori on Tuesday prayed the Speaker, Peter Ala Adjetey to lay the blame of lateness and low attendance in Parliament on the Majority.

Appiah-Ofori said: "Mr Speaker, let us lay the blame where it belongs to. We are in government and we must set good example. Look at our side (Majority) this morning."

Ala Adjetey in his reply said: "This is an aspect of the Vice President's call to fight indiscipline. So let us try as much as possible to assist him." Kosi Kedem, NDC Hohoe South, had drawn the attention of the Speaker of the "wrong impression" created by the "Votes and Proceedings" that most of the members were present last Friday.

He said the 125 members recorded by the Votes and Proceedings does not reflect the true picture of members who were present in the Chamber last Friday and asked that a mechanism should be found to give the true number of members who actually sit through proceedings.

Some members from the Majority, who in an attempt to ward off the criticism, put the blame on vehicular traffic, seminars/workshops and invitations to functions and called for the adjustment of the sitting time from morning to afternoon.

Kedem came back again to vehemently protest against the change of the sitting time saying: "What is at stake here now is attitudinal. You would change the time but people would still not come." The Speaker therefore, called on the Whips of both sides to be up and doing; since their main functions are to whip their people to be present in the House.