Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman, has urged Parliament to implement stringent measures to tackle absenteeism among its members.
His concern comes in response to complaints from the Minority, alleging that many Majority members have been absent from parliamentary sessions due to campaign tours with the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, since the House resumed from recess.
During a media engagement Dr. Draman expressed serious concern about this issue, noting its persistent nature across multiple parliamentary sessions highlighting the current Parliament ineffectiveness in addressing absenteeism adequately.
Dr. Draman pointed out that existing constitutional sanctions and measures are not enforced, attributing this to a lack of accountability from Parliament’s leadership.
To combat this problem, Dr. Draman suggested that Parliament should explore alternative approaches to ensure members’ attendance and accountability.
He said , “Parliament has been very weak when it comes to dealing with this matter. Either because the kind of sanction and the measures put in the constitution and the standing orders are ones that a parliament cannot really implement, or the leadership of parliament is running away from its responsibilities.
“In the past, when some of these issues came up, I think some of us have found out that if parliament knows that they cannot punish our own for absenteeism,. Then perhaps they should consider other methods of dealing with absenteeism”.
He advised Members of Parliament to prioritise punctuality at parliamentary sittings, emphasising that MPs should join campaign activities during recess periods, not when parliamentary business is in session.
He said, ”They are doing work that is not supposed to be their work. Because Parliament is not in recess, during the recess, they could follow the Vice President, or, for that matter, any presidential candidate of their choice. But even then, it raises issues because, when they are on recess, that is when they are supposed to be with their constituents.
“For me, that brings me to the issue of absenteeism that we are grappling with as a country. And unfortunately, Parliament, that is, this Parliament, as well as all the seven Parliaments before this one have not been able to have a handle on this issue of absenteeism”.
To effectively deal with absenteeism by MPs without proper permissions, he recommended an adoption of European sanctions and penalties meted out to absentee MPs.
Examples of such penalties include fines or deductions from their salaries for unapproved absences, suspension of travel and subsistence allowances.
“Like what is done in some European countries where you absent yourself and you lose some benefits.
Otherwise, because there is no real sanction regime, people can just walk away from Parliament. And show up anytime, because they know nothing is going to happen to them, as has been the case over the years” he added.
“Like what is done in some European countries where you absent yourself and you lose some benefits,. Otherwise, because there is no real sanction regime, people can just walk away from Parliament. And show up anytime, because they know nothing is going to happen to them, as has been the case over the years.”
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