Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak has cautioned members of the Privileges Committee against recommending the expulsion of the three absentee MPs scheduled to appear before it for breaching the 15-day absence rule.
He noted that such a move amounts to stabbing the heart of Parliament.
Muntaka Mubarak
Muntaka Mubarak who is unhappy with the Speaker’s decision to refer the three absentee MPs to the Committee asked the members to be wary of the decision they make.
He argued that any recommendation that would trigger a declaration of their seats as vacant would be a dagger in the heart of Parliament.
“Because of numbers of voting and other things we want to treat ourselves this way, and we Members of Parliament also think that it is fine to do it. This is just taking a dagger and stabbing yourself.
“I just want to remind our colleagues who are on the Privileges Committee that this is about ourselves and I am sorry to say the public for lack of understanding of the work that Parliamentarians do, speak evil and ill of Members of Parliament. We cannot hate ourselves that much.
“If we as Parliamentarians decide to hate ourselves, well, then it is up to us. So I would want to caution my colleagues on the Privileges Committee to reflect on all the things that is happening and put each and every one of these members in your own shoes and ask yourselves whether these members are deliberately doing what they are doing or they have a just cause,” he told JoyNews’ Kwesi Parker-Wilson.
Supreme Court judges
The Asawase MP cited instances where Supreme Court judges who were absent from post were still being paid by the state and added that some civil servants still remained on the payroll despite their incapacitation.
A situation he believes should be emulated by the House.
“Go check Supreme Court. I know Supreme Court judges who were sick for three years, but they were still being paid. They got the sickness because they were on the job, so the state continued to take care of them. For three years they were not working but were still being paid. If we were to follow the Constitution, once they became incapacitated, they were supposed to be removed, but they were not removed,” he said.
Adwoa Sarfo, Henry Quartey, Kennedy Agyapong
Dome Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Sarfo, Ayawaso Central MP, Henry Quartey and the Assin North MP, Kennedy Agyapong are scheduled to appear before the committee to justify why they absented themselves from legislative duties for 15 sittings.
According to Ranking Member on the Committee, Ricketts Kweku Hagan, the Committee has officially written to all three NPPs MPs.
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews’ Kwesi Parker Wilson, he said there will be a maiden meeting on Wednesday to outline the modalities as to how the interrogation of the three MPs will be done.
“25th, which is tomorrow, is when we will have the maiden meeting. 26th which is a Thursday is when we will invite the first MP in the name of Henry Quartey who will be the first person. At the moment, it will be an in-camera meeting, but obviously, tomorrow’s meeting will put all the modalities together as to exactly how we are going to conduct it. But the invitation has gone out as far as I am concerned.
“The 27th which is a Friday is Adwoa Safo, the 31st which is the following Tuesday will be Kennedy Agyapong,” he told JoyNews’ Parliamentary correspondent.
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