By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The embattled Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Madam Sarah Adwoa Safo, on Friday, November 11, 2022 showed up on the floor of Parliament after almost one year of being overseas.
Madam Adwoa Safo, who had come under a barrage of criticism for abandoning Parliamentary duties for months walked majestically into the Chamber of Parliament wearing, army green coloured skinny trouser with a red blazer top and a tan inner to match.
She sat briefly in the chamber, where some of her colleagues from the opposite side went to her to exchange pleasantries with her.
One striking thing which got most Journalists around the House and other Parliamentary watchers was the not to warm reception extended to her by the Majority Leader, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
The former Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection and a former Deputy Majority Leader according to records requested for Leave of Absence in 2021 to attend to personal issues, but in a statement dated Wednesday, October 6, 2021, signed and issued by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin, explained that Adwoa Safo’s leave was to have ended August 31, 2021, but was further extended indefinitely.
The embattled Dome-Kwabenya Lawmaker’s long absence from Parliament led to calls from both within her party, the New Periotic Party (NPP) as well as a petition filed by the former NDC MP for Kumbungu, Mr. Ras Mubarak for her seat to be declared vacant.
Efforts by Parliament’s Privileges Committee to get the legislator to give reasons for her continued absence from the House failed to yield any positive results.
The Committee had failed to achieve a consensus in its recommendations on whether absenting herself for more than the mandatory 15 days without permission warranted her seat being declared vacant.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in October took strong exception to the Speaker of Parliament’s decision to direct the plenary to debate the fate of Adwoa Safo and two other legislators over absenteeism.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu maintained that the Speaker erred in referring the matter back to the House, explaining that the ruling flies in the face of the Constitution and threatened to challenge the decision.