Mr Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has expressed disappointment over the continuous absenteeism of some Members of Parliament (MPs) at the sittings of the House.
He warned that disciplinary actions would be taken against those who failed to attend sittings.
In his formal communication to the House, Mr Bagbin said he had received attendance reports for the First and Second Meetings but decided not to publish them, hoping to see an improvement in attendance.
Speaker Bagbin however admitted that the decision had backfired, saying “Honourable members, it looks like that was a catastrophic mistake I made.
“I should have brought it out and referred members to the Privileges Committee,” he said.
The Speaker told the House that he had given directives to the parliamentary clerks to record attendance for the current Meeting and noted that members who were absent would be punished in accordance with parliamentary Standing orders.
“I have given directives to the clerks at the table to take the records for this meeting. We will be taking action to compel members to sit or to be considered to have vacated their seats,” he said.
Meanwhile, a new attendance record from Parliament has revealed that some MPs recorded the highest number of absences during the House’s First Session of 2025.
The report, which covered 43 Sittings held between January and March 2025, listed Mr Felix Akwetey Nii Okle, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Bortianor-Ngleshi Amanfro, as the most absent legislator, missing 23 sittings during the period.
He was followed by Mr Joseph Frempong, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Nkawkaw, was absent on 22 occasions, and the late Ernest Yaw Anim, a former NPP MP for Kumawu, also missed 21 Sittings.
Other MPs with high absentee rates included Col. Kwadwo Damoah (Rtd.), NDC MP for Jaman South, who missed 19 sittings; Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the NDC MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam and Minister for Finance, was absent for 17 times; and Mr Blay Nyameke Armah, NDC MP for Sekondi, missed 16 sittings.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the NDC MP for North Tongu and Minister for Foreign Affairs, missed 15 sittings, while Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, NPP MP for Effiduase-Asokore, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, NPP MP for Takoradi, and Mr Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng, NPP MP for Obuasi West, each missed 14 sittings.
Others included Mr Sam Nartey George, the NDC MP for Ningo-Prampram; Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, the NDC MP for Wa Central and Minister for Employment; and Mr Francis-Xavier Sosu, the NDC MP for Madina, were each absent for13 times.
Source: GNA
The post Absentee MPs risk losing seats – Speaker warns appeared first on Ghana Business News.
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