The Minority in Parliament has accused the majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu of abandoning the House to attend to other businesses unrelated to the activities of the House.
The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak said the House deserves an explanation for the absence of Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu from Parliament.
He contended that the majority leader convinced the House to extend the period for recess by one more week only for him to travel out of the country.
Drawing the Speakers attention to the issue, Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak said, the Majority must explain the actions of their leader.
“He [Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu] insisted that we needed to make sacrifices to stay… It is in that spirit that you the one who called for sacrifices for people to stay and cancel their programs must lead the charge and not be the one attending his own programs. My colleague Deputy Minority leader [Adwoa Sarfo] has no idea, he [Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu] has returned from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting and he was even at the Worskhop for ministers and left last night. The majority leader is in town.
“He has returned from Qatar. My worry is that the one who called for sacrifices and for members to cancel their programs should be the last to leave the house,” he said.
But the Deputy Majority Leader, Adwoa Safo said the enquiry is unnecessary as the business of the House can be conducted in the without the presence of the Majority Leader.
According to her, the Majority leader and other members of Parliament were attending to important business on behalf of the House hence his absence from the House.
“We are all here to work as leaders. He [Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu] is out there holding fort for the Parliament of Ghana and so is the first deputy speaker and we are very much aware of that,” she said.
Absenteeism has been a major issue in Parliament as the House has on several occasions come under attack over the rising incidents of absenteeism without permission, captured in a regular report by CSO, Odekro.
The Speaker of Parliament has even had the cause to complain about the attendance of MPs to the house which he says continues to affect the business of the House.
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By: | citinewsroom.com
