AWOL

The real news from Parliament, is that in 2017, out of our 275 member legislature, only 10 'Honourables' attended each of the 85 sittings, or were absent with permission.  Everyone else did a bunk, got stuck in the loo, was waylaid by brigands or simply put, they were Absent Without Leave (AWOL).

The 10 members who honoured their basic Ghc8,000 a month salary, at least by turning up and punching in the clock, were all men - 5 from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and 5 from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Arise!  Emmanuel Agyei Anhwere, Atwima-Nwabiagya; Habib Saad, Bortiano-Ngleshie Amanforo; Robert Kwasi Amoah, Achiase; Martin Oti Gyarko, Techiman North and Kofi Brako, Tema Central.  For the Minority: Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Asuogyaman; Dr. Sebastian Ngemenenso, Daffiama/Bussie/Issa; Twumasi Kwame Ampofo, Sene and Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, South Dayi.  By joining this club, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, the former Mayor of Accra and member for Ablekuma South, has finally received an award he actually deserves.

The House is summoned to the Chamber by a bell, usually proceedings begin at 10am, from Tuesday through Fridays.  There are 168 representatives of the NPP and 107 from the NDC; 139 MPs are serving multiple terms, 136 are new entrants. The majority of MPs (139) are aged between 36 and 50 years, in Ghana, this is considered 'youth.' 

Parliament is an institution grounded in process backed by numbers, written up in minute detail contained in their Standing Orders.  Absenteeism has consequences.  On both 20th and 25th November 2015, Parliament was forced to abandon debate on the 2016 budget, because it did not have a quorum of one third (92) of its members on seat.

An MP must seek permission in writing from the Office of the Speaker to be absent.  An MP who is absent from 15 meetings without written permission from the Speaker is in breach of Article  97 (1)(c) and should be summoned to appear before the Privileges Committee.  If a plausible reason is not provided, the MP is asked to vacate their seat. It has never happened.  

In 2017, 15 MPs were absent for 15 or more times - during both Sessions of the House, without written permission.  6 MPs were AWOL in the first Session only; 23 MPs in the second session only, couldn't locate Parliament or a permission slip. 45 parliamentary seats could be vacated.  

Snowflakes and ghosts on the payroll

Without written permission, chronic absenteeism by snowflake MPs requires as much national debate as ghost workers on the public payroll and Parliament must actually govern itself.

Before we march on Parliament, Odekro, a non profit parliamentary monitoring organisation, suggests that reasons for non attendance by MPs may vary. 

First and particularly troubling for me, is the sheer number of MPs (71) who double as Ministers and Deputy Ministers, they also hold star billing on the list of those who should be asked to explain or vacate their seats.  Worse, there are only 37 female MPs, if they also serve as Ministers or deputies, then their absence is disproportionately felt, many are repeat offenders on the AWOL roll call.

On any given day, 25% of the House, including MPs who double up as Regional Ministers and their Deputies could legitimately be attending to other government business.  If this is true, what stops them from seeking written permission to be absent?  What was the rationale for insisting in the Constitution that the majority of Ministers should be drawn from the ranks of Parliament? 

It is also possible that some MPs may be ill, without sufficient credit or unable to reach a singular colleague to sign a sickie on their behalf.  They don't like it and we must face it.  Some of our Honourables are out and about conducting person business whilst on the clock.

History Presents Itself

In other developments, Parliament will reconvene at High Noon on Friday, January 5th, 2018, summoned 2 weeks early from recess, to consider an urgent petition filed by the Minority.  They allege that the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) extorted money from non-Ghanaian business people for preferential seating during a recent awards ceremony. 

When the allegations first surfaced, President Akufo-Addo instructed MOTI to provide all relevant information to the public.  The Ministry has denied impropriety, the Minority have rejected this and are demanding, as the many lawyers amongst them will say, 'further and better particulars.' 

The real news here, is that this is not a new move.  Using Article 112 (3) and Order 38 (1) of the Standing Orders, Parliament has been recalled at least 3 times in the past by the Minority (then the NPP).  In 2010 over the District Assembly elections and then over the Merchant Bank/Fortiz sale. 

The last time Parliament stood similarly to attention was in August 2016.  The Minority petitioned against the gifting of a Ford Explorer vehicle by a Burkinabe business man to former President John (IV) Mahama.  The friendly business man had constructed a boundary wall for our Embassy that inexplicably cost half a million dollars, he went on from there to win a publicly funded road contract.  The Minority alleged a 'conflict of interest.'

Fueled by automatic transmission, it took the Speaker, then, Doe Adjaho a turbo charged 12 minutes to deliver a quickie.  He dismissed the motion, refused debate, referred the Minority back to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice where they had filed a simultaneous complaint.  Hopefully, this Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Professor Aaron Michael Ocquaye, will at least give the Minority the opportunity to say 'hweeeeee.'

Must History repeat itself?

Mr. Adjaho pulled another quieter and equally substantive legislative sleight of hand when he was Speaker.  Between January 7, 2013 and July 23, 2015, Parliament held 253 plenary meetings. The 10 MPs who each missed at least 139 meetings were all from the NDC, 2 of the men were women.  Of the top 10 MPs who missed less than 15 sessions, all were men, 5 of them were from the NPP, 5 from the NDC. History repeats itself.

It should have made bigger headlines, led and held the news much longer.  There were 125 members AWOL for 15 days or more under Mr. Adjaho's watch.  When Odekro petitioned Mr. Adjaho to explain why the errant MPs should not vacate their seats, he was struck by an unusual silence, as in 'hweeeeee.'  

For further information on the attendance score card of your MP, visit Odekro.org.  The history of Parliamentary impunity does not have to repeat itself, surely.