News:
February 3, 2021
Rt Hon Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has sent a strong warning to Members of Parliament who have tested positive to COVID-19 to stay home and self-isolate otherwise he would be forced to publish their names in the media.
Parliament since last week began a COVID-19 screening exercise and medical screening for all MPs and staff for possible cases in the wake of the increasing cases of the disease in the country.
According to a communication relayed on the Floor of Parliament on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 on behalf of the Speaker by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, some MPs who have tested positive for the virus are still attending to business in Parliament even though they have received test results that confirmed they are positive.
Mr. Joseph Osei Owusu said, “I will be forced to publish the names of Members who have tested positive in order to warn the rest of us. Please, let’s take these protocols seriously and let all Members who have been informed of their test results that they have tested positive, withdraw from the precincts of Parliament. Not just the Chamber; Stay home and self-isolate; go through the protocols; and recover before they return to the House.”
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, informed the House that some of the MPs are not being cooperative and have still decided not to subject themselves to the COVID-19 screening exercise.
As at the time he was relaying the information on the Floor with just about 45 minutes for the screening exercise to end, he said about 52 Members of Parliament had still not submitted themselves for the test.
“Mr. Speaker, as at yesterday only three people submitted themselves to the testing, today only five people have submitted themselves. It means that, out of the 60 that had not submitted themselves, 52 have still not submitted. That is dangerous,” the Majority Leader said.
Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu further added that, from next week onwards all Members of Parliament who have not submitted themselves to the screening exercise would not be allowed into the chamber.
The Minority Chief Whip, Mohamed Mubarak Muntaka, expressed the concern that the Leadership of the House is handicapped in determining exactly which of the MPs have tested positive or not because of the mode of transmission of the test results directly to individual MPs.
However, the Minority Chief Whip was of the view that the current situation demands that the policy is reviewed for the names of these persons who have tested positive to be released to at least the Chief Whips of both sides for them to ensure that those infected people do not come anywhere near the precinct of Parliament to spread the virus among the MPs.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com