The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Agyapong, is expected to avail himself before the Privileges Committee of Parliament today, Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
The outspoken politician was referred to the committee by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin recently and is thereby expected to explain why he absented himself from the house for 15 sitting days without permission.
He was referred alongside two colleague lawmakers, namely Henry Quartey Ayawaso Central; and Sarah Adwoa Safo, Dome-Kwabenya.
Having reportedly sought permission to go for a medical trip abroad, the meeting day of the Privileges Committee and Mr. Kennedy Agyapong was rescheduled for today.
On the part of Henry Quartey who doubles as the Greater Accra Regional Minister, he could not meet the committee last week despite having arrived at the venue after the committee’s chairman, Joseph Osei-Owusu, was assigned to take over from the Speaker in the chamber.
Similarly, in the case of the Dome-Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo, she could not show up, claiming she was not aware of any summon that asked her to appear before the committee for interrogations.
Background
On April 5, 2022, Sarah Adwoa Safo; Henry Quartey and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong were referred to the Privileges Committee for allegedly absenting themselves from the House for more than 15 sitting days without permission.
The Speaker, who made the referral, said evidence made available to him by the “table office indicates that three of the Hon. Members have so far absented themselves in this meeting for more than 15 sitting days without permission as recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.”
“I trust that the Committee of Privileges will consider this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves as the public interest in this matter is amazed. More importantly, we make the law and we must be seen to be obeying and complying with the laws we make,” he added.
