By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Parliament’s Privileges Committee has given the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Madam Sarah Adwoa Safo up to July 6, 2022 to appear before members of the Committee through in person or via Zoom.
The Chairman of Mr. Joseph Osei Owusu, has caused the final invitation to the MP to be published to all media outlets, his summons to Madam Sarah Adwoa Safo, to appear before the Committee on July 6, 2022 after several attempts to reach the Dome Kwabenya lawmaker proved unsuccessful.
The MP who doubles as the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, who is said to be currently playing her motherly role in the United States of America, is said to have been blocked her ears with ‘cotton wool’ thus ‘hearing no evil non see one’ is expected to appear in person or via Zoom next month to answer queries for her absence without permission in the 1st Meeting of the 2nd Session of this 8th Parliament.
This summons by the Chairman of the Committee was contained in a press release signed by the Parliament’s Public Affairs Director, Madam Kate Addo, for distribution to all media organizations for publication. The release stated that, “This comes after all attempts to reach the Honorable Member by the Committee failed.”
The summons form part of the Committee’s work, referred to it by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin, pursuant to Article 97(1)(c) of the Constitution, and Orders 15 and 16(1) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, for consideration and report to the House, on the absence of the Member from Parliament for more than fifteen Sittings, without permission in writing of the Speaker, during the First Meeting of the Second Session of the Eight Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
Sarah Adwoa Safo failed to appear before the Committee of Privileges when two other MPs including: the MP for Assin North, Kennedy Ohene Adjapong; and MP for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey, were cited for breach of the Standing Orders of Parliament and the Constitution of Ghana for absenting themselves without permission for more than 15 sitting days.
In an interview outside Parliament from the United Sates, the MP for Dome Kwabenya claimed that no official invitation was extended to her to appear before the Committee at the time.
In this latest release, it has been stated that all efforts have been made to reach out to the MP on all channels available including: her personal office in Parliament; her Ministry where she has not been active as a Minister for some time now; all her known email addresses; her pigeon hole in Parliament for receipt of official and unofficial messages; as well as through her Research Assistant; and all her known social media handles.
“The Committee has employed all available means, official and unofficial to serve the Member with invitation letter, including sending the invitation letter to her office and pigeonhole in Parliament, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, where she superintended as Sector Minister, her official email addresses, known social media handles, and through her personal Assistant,” the release indicated.