The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has issued a stern warning to Members of Parliament (MPs) who have developed a habit of missing sittings without permission, declaring that such absenteeism could soon cost them their seats.
The caution follows widespread concern over poor attendance in the House since sittings resumed last week, an issue that has persisted throughout the legislative year.
Under Article 97(1)(c) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, any MP who absents themselves from fifteen consecutive sittings without the Speaker’s permission automatically forfeits their seat. Mr. Bagbin says that rule will now be enforced to the letter.
Speaking during Wednesday’s sitting, October 29, the Speaker emphasized that Parliament’s leadership had deliberately scheduled afternoon sessions to allow lawmakers to attend committee meetings and interact with their constituents in the mornings.
“It’s for good reason we decided that we’ll sit in the afternoons,” he explained. “You can use the morning to prepare reports, meet ministries, or engage your people. By 2 p.m., you should be ready to sit.”
He added that evening sittings were introduced to make parliamentary proceedings more accessible to citizens watching from home, but attendance records suggest that many MPs are not taking advantage of that arrangement either.
“In the evenings, people have the opportunity to sit, watch, and advise you,” he lamented. “I’m saying this for the last time.”
Mr. Bagbin revealed that he has directed parliamentary clerks to keep detailed attendance logs for every sitting in the current session. Lawmakers who continue to neglect their duties, he warned, will face consequences.
“We have the Standing Orders, and we know what they say. Action will be taken to ensure members either attend or be deemed to have vacated their seats.”
Visibly disappointed, the Speaker said the habitual absenteeism was gradually undermining public confidence in the legislature.
“I’m not happy with the way members value plenary sessions,” he said. “Those of you who are always here, I can tell from your faces that you share my frustration.”
He also disclosed that he had already compiled attendance records from the first and second meetings of the year but had deliberately chosen not to publish them.
“I decided, for good reason, not to make them public, hoping members would adjust. But it seems that was a catastrophic mistake. I should have released them and referred the absentees to the Privileges Committee.”
Mr. Bagbin’s statement has reignited debate over accountability and discipline in Ghana’s Parliament, as citizens increasingly question whether elected representatives are fulfilling the mandate entrusted to them.
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