Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has issued a stern warning to Members of Parliament (MPs) over growing absenteeism in the Ninth Parliament, vowing to take decisive action against lawmakers who continue to neglect their parliamentary duties.
Addressing the matter during Wednesday’s sitting, Speaker Bagbin expressed dissatisfaction with the attendance record of MPs, stressing that such behaviour would no longer be tolerated. He noted that while Ghanaians may have overlooked absenteeism during the Eighth Parliament, they would not extend the same leniency in this current term.
“I’m not happy with this,” he said firmly, urging MPs to give priority to plenary sessions and take their legislative responsibilities seriously.
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The Speaker revealed that he holds detailed attendance records from the first and second meetings of the Ninth Parliament and hinted that he should have already referred some MPs to the Privileges Committee for disciplinary action. He made it clear that this was his final warning, stating that he would not revisit the issue but instead take concrete steps to address it.
This declaration marks a shift from tolerance to enforcement as Speaker Bagbin seeks to strengthen accountability and discipline within Parliament. The Privileges Committee is mandated to investigate breaches of parliamentary rules, including absenteeism.
In previous instances, MPs such as Sarah Adwoa Safo, Kennedy Agyapong, and Henry Quartey were referred to the committee for missing more than fifteen sittings, a violation that could result in their seats being declared vacant.
Speaker Bagbin also reminded MPs that parliamentary privileges are not escape routes from responsibility or legal scrutiny. He urged lawmakers to respect both the rules of the House and the expectations of the public.
His renewed resolve underscores growing concern about the commitment of elected representatives to their legislative duties and signals possible stricter enforcement to reshape attendance culture in Ghana‘s Parliament.
