Speaking on the floor of the House on Tuesday, May 27, after Parliament resumed sitting, Mr. Ayariga urged that all NPP backbenchers present on the day in question be referred to the Privileges Committee for investigation over what he described as a “breach of privilege.”

According to him, despite a one-week ultimatum from the Speaker of Parliament for the individual responsible to own up, no one has taken responsibility. He insisted that the Majority Caucus will not allow the matter to go unresolved.

“The Majority Caucus will demand that all the NPP members of the backbench who were sitting in the direction where the unsavory statement came from should be referred to the Privileges Committee for investigation of a contempt and breach of the privileges of a member,” he stated.

Reiterating the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus’s stance, Mr. Ayariga condemned the remark and described it as a disgraceful moment in the House’s recent history.

Background

The controversy surrounds the “daughter of a murderer” comment made in Parliament, a derogatory remark directed at Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle and daughter of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.

The incident occurred during a parliamentary session on February 4, amid heated discussions commemorating the 60th anniversary of the death of Joseph Boakye Danquah.

As Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin addressed the House, an unidentified male voice from the parliamentary backbench interrupted, shouting, “Daughter of a murderer, sit down!”

The comment insinuated that Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings’ father was responsible for past political killings—a claim that has long been the subject of historical debate.

The outburst triggered immediate chaos in the chamber, with members expressing shock and disapproval.

The Speaker of Parliament subsequently issued a one-week ultimatum for the MP responsible to voluntarily come forward or face severe consequences.

To date, no MP has owned up to making the statement.

Source: MyJoyOnline

ALSO READ:

• Speaker apologises to Rawlings’ family, Anlo State over ‘Daughter of a Murderer’ remark

• Speaker issues ultimatum to MP over ‘Daughter of a Murderer’ remark

According to the Suame Member of Parliament (MP), the constitution is clear on what must be done to a lawmaker who absents him or herself from the House over a period of time without permission.

“I am hoping the Speaker will do what the constitution provides. The breach in respect to article 97 and that determination has been made by the committee. If we think there should be some mitigating factors, that is another issue,” he said in an interview on Accra-based TV3.

The embattled Dome-Kwabenya MP failed to appear before the Privileges Committee to justify her absence for over 15 sittings after many attempts to reach her failed.

The Committee then submitted its report to the plenary after its sitting and recommended that the House declares the seat of the MP vacant.

But Speaker Bagbin on July 28 deferred his ruling on the lawmaker and two other legislators referred to the Committee for absenteeism.

Mr Bagbin, after listening to debates from both the Majority and Minority sides of the House, said he will present a reasoned written ruling to the House at the next sitting.

Meanwhile, the Majority Leader says he is not happy about what the likely outcome of the issue will be as Miss Safo had a great political future.

“Adwoa served as my deputy and I know the tremendous potential of this lady,” he added.

This comes on the back of Miss Safo’s failure to appear before the committee on June 14, 2022, despite several attempts to reach her.

“The Committee has employed all available means, both official and unofficial, to serve the Member with an invitation letter, including sending the invitation letter to her office and pigeonhole in Parliament, but it is yet to get any response from her,” a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs in Parliament, Kate Addo. read.

But Miss Safo in an interview on Joy News in May 2022 said she was in the US and was not aware of the committee’s invitation.

Chairman of the committee, Joseph Osei Owusu has since directed that the summons be published publicly.

“The Chairman of the Privileges Committee has directed that summons to the Hon. Member for Dome Kwabenya to appear before the Privileges Committee of Parliament on 6th July 2022 at 12:00 noon at Parliament House, New Administration Block, Committee Room 1, 2 & 3 pursuant to Article 103 (6) of the Constitution and Order 205 of the Standing Orders of Parliament be published in all relevant media. This comes after all attempts to reach the Honourable Member by the Committee failed,” it added.

The MP who doubles as the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection together with two others; Ayawaso Central MP; Henry Quartey and Assin North’s Kennedy Agyapong have been directed to the committee to explain the reasons for their absenteeism from duties, failure of which actions will be taken to remove them from Parliament.

The absentee MP was to appear before the committee to justify reasons for the breach of the 15-day sitting rule in Parliament.

After several invitations to Miss Safo, the Committee was waiting for the MP but she failed to appear.

It will be recalled that the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, referred three MPs, Miss Safo, Dome-Kwabenya, Henry Quartey, Ayawaso Central and Ken Ohene Agyepong, Assin Central for their absenteeism.

The Committee has used all avenues to get the MP amidst readiness to engage her on Zoom but has been unsuccessful.

But the Vice-Chairman of the Committee, Akwasi Owusu Afrifa Mensah, has explained the Committee has the last resort to publish an invite in the dailies after which its report will be sent to the House.

The two others, Ken Ohene Agyepong and Henry Quartey are expected to appear before the Committee today, Wednesday, June 15.

The decision according to the Ranking Member and Cape Coast South MP, Kweku Ricketts Hagan is because the nature of evidence as they have been hinted might be on medical grounds.

“I’m telling you the committee’s decision is that we didn’t think that it will be appropriate to discuss what is likely to be health matters because we know that at least two of them or all three have been dealing with some medical issues and we thought that it will not be appropriate.

“It is on that basis that the [Privileges] Committee came to that conclusion that it would be best that we give the opportunity for people to come and be able to come and be able to discuss with us, charged with that responsibility on what the reasons were or the evidence,” he told Accra-based Citi FM.

The trio; Ayawaso Central MP; Henry Quartey, Dome-Kwabenya’s Adwoa Safo and Assin Central MP; Kennedy Agyapong are to face the Committee for their breach of the 15-day absence rule provided in the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament.

This is on the back of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin’s referral of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs referral in April following a petition by former Kumbungu MP, Ras Mubarak.

The committee’s findings could lead to the expulsion of the three MPs if it suggests so and the plenary accepts it.

Meanwhile, the sitting will commence today, May 26, 2022, with Mr Quartey being the first to appear.

Miss Safo and Mr Agyapong have been scheduled for May 27 and May 31 respectively.

The Minority Whip, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has revealed how remorseful he felt after challenging the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin in the chamber.

However, the Asawase Member of Parliament (MP) says he remains committed to fighting for the right of his colleagues irrespective of their political affiliation.

The Speaker on Tuesday, April 5 directed Hon. Muntaka to resume his seat when he was challenging the referral of three MPs to the Privileges Committee over absenteeism for parliamentary duties.

He, however, did not oblige, generating murmuring in the chamber.

Hon. Muntaka argued that, the Speaker does not have the powers to independently refer the conduct of the trio; Sarah Adwoa Safo, Henry Quartey and Ken Ohene Agyapong to the Privileges Committee.

He said it must be a Member of Parliament who takes up such an initiative.

The Asawase MP, therefore, filed a motion seeking to revoke the decision independently taken by the Speaker.

But speaking in an interview with Adom News‘ Ohene Amponsah a month after the brouhaha, Hon. Muntaka said he is yet to receive any response though the MPs have been billed to appear before the Privileges Committee.

The outspoken legislator described as unfair the public perception of MPs.

This comes after Mr Agyapong’s call on his TV station, NET 2 TV, to the general public to “mercilessly beat” Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor for his live reportage of the Ejura shootings, which resulted in the deaths of two residents.

According to Dr Ashigbey, Mr Agyapong’s utterances were reckless and harmful to not just Erastus Donkor, but to all journalists in the country.

He, thus, called for Mr Agyapong to face the full rigours of the law, and that other external bodies aligned with the media be called upon to add pressure on the organs of government dealing with the MP’s case in order to ensure that the right thing is done.

“I’m pretty sure that when we start putting all of those pressures on the various bodies then they will act. We just have to change the way we have done our things in the past,” he said.

ALSO READ:

• Police probe Kennedy Agyapong’s threat against Erastus Asare Donkor

• Bagbin fumes as Kennedy Agyapong is referred to Privileges Committee

He said another alternative to dealing with the issue is to take the matter before the West African Court.

“One of the areas that I’ll urge all of us to consider is going to the West African Court. There is precedence that when Yahaya Jammeh with all his things on journalists, a particular journalist was helped by the West African Media Foundation to take the case to the West African Court be it that it’s a civil case, but that case was won there and the Gambia was found guilty, there was a fine and definitely that comes with a stain on itself,” he said.

He was, however, hopeful that the Privileges Committee will take into consideration that the MP is a repeat offender and will thus recommend stringent measures be taken against him.

“I’m also cautiously optimistic that based on the fact that this is a repeat offender the various committees, the various organs when they get to look at it, they will definitely not have the luxury of saying this is a first time person, this is somebody who has issued threats and I’m not saying that he carried the threats for Ahmed Suale, but it was subsequent to his threat,” he said.