Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, was spotted in Parliament today.
This comes after her long absence divided the House, with the Majority arguing that the Privileges Committee report recommending her removal should be final.
The Majority is already considering taking the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to the Supreme Court over his decision on Dome-Kwabenya.
Mr Bagbin ruled that the Committee’s report had to be presented to the entire House before a decision could be made.
The ruling was “unfortunate,” according to Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who believes the Speaker misinterpreted the law.
Adwoa Safo, on the other hand, appears to be easily blending in upon her return.
“It feels good to be back,” she told reporters.
“The reception has been fantastic,” the beleaguered lawmaker said on Friday, November 11.
“I’m back as a Member of Parliament to continue my duties, so today is the first day, and I’m hoping for a good few weeks.”
Background
Mr Bagbin deferred his decision on whether the Dome-Kwabenya seat should be declared vacant or not before going on recess in July, following Madam Adwoa Safo’s failure to honour an invitation by the Privileges Committee on her continuous absence from Parliament.
On May 4, the Speaker referred Adwoa Safo, Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central, and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, to the Privileges Committee for missing 15 House sittings without his permission.
That was during the Eighth Parliament’s First Session.
The Committee was unable to reach an agreement in its recommendations on whether her absence for more than the mandatory 15 days without permission justified her seat being declared vacant.
The majority, on the other hand, wants the seat declared vacant as soon as possible in accordance with the stated constitutional provisions.
Madam Safo was observed to have failed to take advantage of numerous opportunities to explain her absence without leave.
Meanwhile, in this regard, the majority of MPs on the Committee cited Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution and the Court of Appeal decision in Prof Stephen Kwaku Asare v the Attorney-General & 3 Ors.
Minority MPs on the Committee argued that the seat should not be declared vacant under the principle of natural justice because the Dome-Kwabenya legislator did not provide her side of the story to the Committee.
Also read: Bagbin’s ruling on Adwoa Safo’s absenteeism unfortunate
The Committee, on the other hand, determined that the explanations given by her two colleagues, Mr Agyepong and Mr Quartey, for their absences were reasonable.
A copy of the report made available to the Ghana News Agency prior to recess revealed that the Committee members reached a split decision on Madam Adwoa Safo’s fate.
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