News:
December 7, 2019
Minority Chief Whip, Mohamed Mubarak Muntaka has said lawmakers who do not show up at the plenary but go for committee meeting should be marked absent.
According to the Asawase lawmaker, it is wrong for MPs to go for committee meetings and not show ups at the plenary for business, as the Speaker had ruled on this matter severally and said plenary take precedence over committee meetings.
“Mr. Speaker it is also not write when we see colleagues come show up their face in the chamber for few minutes and go away expecting that they would be marked as present”.
This came to light when ranking member on Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa during the correction of votes and proceedings on Thursday 5th November 2019, drew the attention of the Speaker that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botwe, was at the committee meeting to defend her Ministries budget estimate but was marked absent.
Speaker Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye noted that if any MP does not come to the plenary and touch base with a meeting at some corner, the person should be marked absent.
“You are absent that is incontrovertible, it has been ruled on again and again that if you do not come to the plenary you are absent”.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Frank Anno Dompreh when he caught the eye of the Speaker drew his attention that other committees that met to look at the estimates of Ministries, Agencies and Department had been captured except the committee he chairs.
Speaker Oquaye noted that the clerk to the committee should see to it that the matter is resolved as it is the duty of the clerk to ensure that the meeting is captured in the votes and proceedings.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com