Mr Kennedy Agyapong who every week Tuesday goes to Adom TV or speaks on Oman FM unless when he is out of the country has been cited as been absent for more than the required number of times allowed for all three sessions of parliament last year.

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For all three sessions of parliament throughout the year 2017, Kennedy Agyapong absented himself without permission 20 times for the first session, 27 times for the second and 14 for the third session.

Per Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution, Members of Parliament who absents themselves from parliamentary sitting for 15 times or more without the written permission of the Speaker must be made to vacate their seats.

Odekro, which issued a caution over the appointment of several ministers from parliament over fears of a weakened legislature, said in the report that, there is the need for stiff punishment for MPs who absent themselves from the House without permission.

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It noted that the failure of the legislative body to punish MPs in the past for the offence seems to be encouraging MPs’ to continue with the trend.

The Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who was absent from 27 Parliamentary sittings without permission in the 2nd meeting, was absent without permission again for 29 times at the 3rd sitting.

Other MPs who absented themselves many times without permission from the speaker included Nkawkaw MP and Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfour; Krowor MP and Minister designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye; Abuakwa South MP, Samuel Ata Akyea; and Sefwi-Wiawso MP, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie.

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Eric Darfour was absent 36 times during the 3rd sitting.

New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs were the worse culprits, with 45 MPs, while only 9 NDC MPs absented themselves without permission.

Ministers of State who double as Members of Parliament were the worst culprits of absenteeism without permission during the First and Second sittings of the seventh parliament, 2017.

Most of the MPs who absented themselves for more than 15 times, out of the 50 sittings were Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

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According to the 54-paged reports, 54 Members of Parliament (MPs) during the time absented themselves from parliament without permission in clear violation of the constitution.

The report identified eight of the 54 top absentees which included chairmen of committees and some Minority MPs who have no other business at the level of the executive.

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“Overall 54 MPs reached and crossed the 15 sittings absence without permission threshold, thus violating Article 97(1)(C) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, since there is no material evidence that they sought permission in writing from the Speaker.

“Of this statistic, 34 chronically absentee MPs (representing 62.9% of the 54 absentee MPs) double as Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State,” the report said.

Three MPs who scored a perfect attendance record included Atwima-Nwabiagya South legislator, Emmanuel Agyei Anhwere; Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro, Habib Saad and Sene West MP, Twumasi Kwame Ampofo.

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Majority of those who absented themselves from the House are New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs who also double as either Ministers or Deputy Ministers.

Some of the absentee Ministers include Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Samuel Atta Akyea, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Catherine Afeku, Joe Ghartey, Ambrose Dery, Ignatius Baffour Awuah and Kwasi Amoako Atta.

Others are Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Joseph Kofi Adda and Dominic Nituwul among others.

Among the notable Deputy Ministers who have been absent without permission are Kingsley Carlos Ahenkorah, Daniel Nii Titus-Glover, Anthony Abayifaa Karbo among others.

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Other notable nine opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs who have been absent from parliamentary proceedings include Alban Bagbin, Sampson Ayi, Dr Dominic Ayine, Casiel Ato Forson and Samuel George.

Suggesting some reformative measures to check absenteeism, Odekro said the House can have an automation of the process of requesting for permission to be absent.

It said the current process whereby MPs must manually fill out the ’Leave of Absence’ has proven to be ineffective.

Odekro, however, accepts that there are occasional urgent emergencies MPs must respond to in their respective constituencies which might make it impossible for an MP to come to the House and file an official request to be absent.

“This will broaden avenues of seeking the explicit permission of the Speaker in writing to be absent,” it said.

Also, Odekro recommends that MPs who have sought permission in writing to the Speaker should have duplicate copies of approved ‘Leaves of Absence’.

“This is to draw a distinction between approved and unapproved leaves of absence,” it added.