Muntaka challenges Bagbin’s decision to refer absent MPs to Privileges Committee

Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has challenged the Speaker’s decision to refer three Members of Parliament to the Privileges Committee for absenteeism.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagin, did so on April 5, 2022.

His direction is in line with Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 17 of the Standing Orders of Parliament which states emphatically that, “A Member shall not absent himself during a meeting for more than fifteen sittings without the permission in writing of the Speaker. Any member infringing this Order shall have his conduct referred to the Privileges Committee.”

The MPs are for the Dome Kwabenya Constituency, Adwoa Safo; Assin North MP, Kennedy Agyapong; and Ayawaso Central Constituency, Henry Quartey.

Reacting to this directive, the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, said the issue should have been raised by a Member of Parliament or by civil society.

“The Minority Chief Whip said Mr. Speaker I disagree with your conclusion and Mr. Speaker I make reference to our standing order 76(1) and I read ‘every application to parliament shall be in a form of petition and every petition must be presented by a member of Parliament who shall be responsible for the observance of the rules of appendix A’. Mr Speaker, you yourself alluded to the fact that MPs would raise a matter that would be raised to the privileges committee and civil society equally do same.

“Mr. Speaker with the greatest of respect I disagree with you when you Mr Speaker want to do that yourself because it has to be a member of parliament who has to do that per our rules,” he said.

He argued that for the Speaker to be allowed to take petitions from outsiders will be the greatest disservice to the members of the house.

“… If we allow Speakers to take petition from outsiders to refer MPs to privileges committee, colleagues we will be doing ourselves the greatest disservice. Because we will one day get a dictator speaker who will one day take statements from outsiders and begin to penalize members of parliament. It’s on this basis that I call on all of us that we resist the attempt by Mr Speaker to refer our colleagues to the privileges committee,” he said.

He added that they will officially file a motion to challenge the Speaker’s directive.