Muntaka hurried through a motion to overturn the case of absentee MPs – Cletus Avoka

Cletus Avoka, the Member of Parliament for Zebilla East, believes that the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, hurried into presenting a motion requesting for the revocation of three MPs’ referral to the Privileges Committee for missing over 15 sittings.

On Citi TV’s Face to Face, Mr. Avoka stated that Muntaka Mubarak’s choice to file a motion without substantial consultation with the Minority Caucus leadership was improper.

He claimed that long engagements would have allowed him to think about legal issues.

“Muntaka seems to be rushing a little too much.” “I thought there should have been a caucus meeting before the House adjourned to debate the next steps, including whether or not we should bring a resolution to overturn the Speaker’s decision,” he said.

Mr. Mubarak requested that Parliament “revoke, cancel, or rescind the referral made by The Rt. Hon. Speaker on the 5th day of April 2022, to the committee on Privileges to consider the issue of Honourables Sarah Adwoa Safo, Henry Quartey, and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong’s absence without permission from the House under Article 97 (1) (c) of the constitution and Standing Orders 15 and 16 of Honourables Sarah

Given that the motion was brought by an individual rather than the Minority Caucus, Mr. Avoka doubted if it would be successful.

Dome Kwabenya MP Sara Adwoa Safo, Ayawaso Central MP Henry Quartey, and Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong have all been referred before the committee.

According to Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, a Member of Parliament must vacate his seat “if he is absent from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament without the permission in writing of the Speaker, and he is unable to provide a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet.”