The untoward hardship in the country is to blame for the incessant absenteeism in Parliament, Cassiel Ato Forson, Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region, has said.
According to the MP, Parliamentarians are also feeling the brunt of the worsening socio-economic conditions in the country thus prefer to engage in other businesses rather than come to the House.
Hon. Forson’s comments come after Parliament suspended sitting because there were not enough MPs in the House to form a quorum Tuesday.
The legislators were expected to continue debate on the 2020 budget before it could be approved.
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However, out of the 175 MPs, both the Majority and Minority members who turned up in Parliament were not enough to begin day-two of the debate.
Hon. Ato Forson, responding to his colleagues’ behaviour said the MPs could not be blamed since they needed to work to gain extra income.
He cited how even Majority MPs who are supposed to lead the debate have also abandoned Parliament due to the despondency level.
“I have been in the House for 12 years and I have not seen this before. When you speak to Majority MPs, they are not happy and that should tell you how we are suffering,” he told Adom FM’s Parliamentary correspondent, Abednego Asante Asiedu.
The Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam MP could not fathom why the Akufo-Addo government told Ghanaians “we are sitting on gold yet we are hungry” but can’t make the economy work as he promised.
On the Minority side, Hon. Ato Forson said they were very equipped to punch holes in the 2020 budget but those to debate with “are all missing and we cannot speak to chairs”.
Source: Ghana|Adomonline.com|Adwoa Gyasiwaa Agyeman
