Kennedy Agyapong Defends Absenting Himself From Parliament

Mr Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament (MP), Assin Central, says his absence from Parliament was inadvertent, due to ill health.

Mr Agyapong said this on Wednesday when he appeared before the Privileges Committee to answer questions on why he was absent from the House for more than the stipulated 15 sitting days during the First Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament.

Mr Agyapong is one of three MPs Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, under Article 97 (1c) of the 1992 Constitution referred to the Privileges Committee over the issue of absence without prior permission in writing.

The MPs are; Mr Henry Quartey, MP, Ayawaso Central; Madam Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP Dome Kwabenya and Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP Assin Central.

Meanwhile, the Committee has summoned Madam Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya to appear before them on Wednesday, July 6 at noon.

This action had been necessitated after all attempts by the Committee to reach the Member of Parliament (MP) had failed.

A press release issued by the Parliamentary Service, signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Madam Kate Addo and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday says, the former Deputy Majority Leader in the Seventh Parliament failed to honour all invitations to appear before the Committee after the Speaker’s directive.

“As a result, Mr Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, the Chairman of the Committee has summoned her anew to appear on Wednesday, July 6 at noon in Committee Rooms 1, 2 and 3 in the New Administration Block of Parliament House.