Joe Wise chastises MPs over absenteeism

The First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, has chastised MPs for not showing up in parliament to conduct their duties. On Thursday, proceedings were adjourned due to the lack of quorum.

Despite only 41 MPs being present in the Chamber just before adjournment, the Votes and Proceedings document of the house captured over 100 MPs present.

Speaking on the floor, Joseph Osei Owusu said there is no justification for MPs not to show up for their duties.

“The objection was raised at a few minutes past 11 am. I had the bell ring, and I said I will adjourn after 10 minutes, but we continued for nearly 1 hour. Then those who are saying they were at committee meetings, I have looked at the records and each one of you, your committees closed way before parliament come to a close,” the Deputy Speaker insisted.

This isn’t the first time a complaint is being made about the absence of parliamentarians from the Chamber.

It will be recalled that the Speaker of Parliament in 2021 reprimanded legislators for their chronic absenteeism.

Meanwhile, the Minority Chief Whip, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, is proposing the installation of a biometric registration system.

Speaking on the floor of the House, Muntaka said; “The best way to deal with this issue is to have a biometric registration [system so that you register] as you enter the Chamber. I don’t know how difficult this is that we are not doing it.”

Muntaka, who is also the MP for Asawase, complained that: “Some people come into the Chamber but are marked absent, and those who do not come are rather marked present. For instance, yesterday [Thursday], I saw both the Majority and Minority leaders in the Chamber, yet, they were marked absent.”

He further suggested that investigations should be conducted into finding out those who were absent yet had their names marked present in the documents.