The declaration of the vacant seat of MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, is said to have happen this week according to sources.
According to a correspondent in Parliament last week, he confirmed that Friday, February 18, 2022 was officially the 15th day that the MP had absented herself in Parliament without any formal permission.
Meanwhile, parliament rules says any MP who absents himself or herself for 15 straight working days without permission risks losing their seats.
Speaking in an interview with Joy FM’s Top Story programme, the Parliamentary Correspondent disclosed that some members of the Majority Caucus had said that she will be reported formally to the Privileges Committee for onward action.
According to Kwesi Parker-Wilson, he has disclosed that official records shows that the MP has been absent since the beginning of 2022. He however explained further that MPs with valid reasons for being absent are recorded as “Absent With Permission.”
“There are some NPP MPs who are attributing the delay of the passage of the E-Levy to Adwoa Safo. Infact today (February 18) is 15 Parliamentary sittings. She has missed 15 sittings.“If you look at Order 15 and 16, it states that ’Any member who absents him or herself from Parliamentary duties for more than 15 working days, the matter will be referred to the Privileges Committee and they will establish whether your absence has a just cause or not,” he said.
“So next week Tuesday (February 22) will be the 16th day. If she doesn’t appear before the House, we are told and we are learning from the NPP Caucus that they are going to invoke Order 15, 16, and 17 and refer the conduct of Sarah Adwoa Safo to the Privileges Committee.”The Committee will subsequently make a determination and forward their recommendation to the Speaker. They will recommend that the seat should be declared vacant if she is deemed to have abandoned her responsibilities”, he added
One could recall in recent past with two NPP MPs suggesting that the MP’s relentless absence from Parliament was actually affecting government’s business and must therefore be attended to.
Speaking on Okay FM, the New Juaben South MP, Michael Okyere Baafi, said: “136 of us; the NPP MPs go to Parliament except for one person, Adwoa Safo. When you ask the leaders they refuse to give straight answers. We don’t know where Adwoa Safo is. She doesn’t come to parliament and it’s worrying . . .“Clearly her behaviour shows she wants to sabotage NPP; I’m speaking on authority. She is to be blamed for all our problems. If you’re sick, you don’t have to blackmail the party. We need to call a spade a spade,” he fumed.
Meanwhile, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, also expressed similar sentiments about the MP’s behavior despite having kids with her.