News:
March 10, 2025
At a recent orientation organized in Ho, the Volta Regional capital, Members of Parliament from the Majority side pledged to be punctual on the floor of the House to end the Minority’s recent practice of raising the issue of quorum which usually leads to early adjournments.
According to the Member of Parliament for the Akan constituency Yao Gomado, he agrees with leadership of the Majority to apply strict measures of reporting lawmakers who consistently absent themselves form the floor of the House even if it would lead to, they not being re-elected or losing their seats.
He noted that the Minority’s action of always raising the issue of quorum has been to achieve political points and it behoves on them (Majority) to improve attendance.
“Your constituents cannot elect you to parliament and you come and be doing your private business; the chief whip has told us if the need be for them to blackmail us, they would do that”, he said in an interview.
On whether the repercussion of reporting absenting MPs to their constituents would not lead to such MPs losing their seats in the next election; he responded, “Who cares? They brought you in to do business; if you are not ready to represent them then why did you come?”
And further added that, he is a marine engineer before coming to Parliament, the weekend of the orientation at Ho he was supposed to be in Togo for a very important business, but he showed up for the orientation.
He further pointed out that at the end of a meeting when the House is on recess, he has to go back and tell his constituents what has gone on at the floor of the House; “my constituents demand that I brief them. We’re one hundred and eight four and we having four independent joining us making it188; and you do not show up in Parliament, they should do the right thing”, he emphasized.
Mr. Gomado further added that he has friends in the Minority and most of the MPs he communicated with from the Minority were not happy that they were not part of the orientation in Ho and their leadership was citing cost.
“Yes cost, but I can tell you if the orientation was held at Parliament you would not have full participation of MPs; most of them would have given excuses and not participate. But in Ho you saw the full participation, the Hall was full”.
I am a second time MP but in every profession you need to upgrade yourself and it has been very useful, he added.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com