Adwoa Safo is the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya
The NDC Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has alleged that the New Patriotic Party plans to have the seat of Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, declared vacant in Parliament.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, the lawmaker claimed that NPP MPs are seeking to have the seat declared vacant in accordance with Article 97(1)(c) of the Constitution.
Dafeamekpor added that his side from the NDC caucus in Parliament will trigger the motion based on the report from the Privileges Committee.
“There is a pending motion in Parliament again brought by the NPP for Adwoa Sarfo’s seat to be declared vacant pursuant to Article 97(1)(c). As we speak, it’s pending. When they brought that motion, they didn’t know that the declaration by the Speaker would be unconstitutional.
“We will trigger that motion and the report is even ready. I have a copy, and it’s prepared by the privileges committee, so we will trigger that motion and take a decision on that motion,” he made this known in reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Speaker Bagbin’s declaration of the four vacant seats.
Article 97 (1)(c) of the Constitution states that “A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament if he is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet.”
Background
Adwoa Safo, the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, was referred to the Privileges Committee in April 2022, along with two other MPs, for being absent for fifteen (15) sitting days by the Speaker of Parliament.
The Speaker stated that his ruling was based on petitions submitted to him regarding the absenteeism of the Members of Parliament.
MAG/OGB
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