Former Gender Minister and Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adjoa Sarfo, has apologized for her ‘misbehavior’ as she broke her silence during her long absence from Parliament.
In an address to the nation, the ‘prodigal’ MP offered an unreserved apology to her party and its members.
She attributed her absence to some personal challenges she and her family encountered during the period of her disappearance.
The lawmaker acknowledged that her absence was not intentional and expressed remorse for any inconvenience it may have caused.
In her apology, madam Sarfo addressed key party figures from all levels of her party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“I want to use this platform to apologize to my party and the leaders of the party. The first is President Akuffu-Addo, the Vice President, the Chief of Staff, the Majority Leader, and the entire Majority Caucus,” she said.
She went on to say, “I want to apologize because it was not intentional, there was a lot going on in my life and that of my life. I am using this medium to plead with you in the name of God. To my regional executives and my constituency executives, the headquarters of the NPP, I plead with you all, including sympathizers and supporters who love the party and myself, to forgive me for everything that has happened.
Adjo Sarfo’s hiatus sparked a nationwide debate in Parliament in 2022.
The former Deputy Majority Leader left the country to live in the US. She came under fire for her continuous absence and for abandoning her duties as a Parliamentarian.
She was spotted in House in August 2022 after her long break.
Adwoa Safo told the media that she had officially returned to Parliament to continue her duties as MP.
“It feels good to be back, the reception has been great”.
“I want to greet all my constituents and tell them that as their Member of Parliament, I’m back by the grace of God,” she added
The remorseful MP requested for leave of absence in 2021 to attend to personal issues.
However, in a statement on October 6, 2021, signed and issued by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, Adjoa Safo’s leave was to have ended on August 31, 2021, but it was further extended indefinitely.
President Akuffo Addo subsequently relieved Madam Adjoa Sarfo of her responsibilities as Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.
Efforts by Parliament’s Privileges Committee to get the legislator to give reasons for her continued absence from the house failed to yield any positive results.
The committee had failed to achieve a consensus in its recommendations on whether absenting herself for more than the mandatory 15 days without permission warranted her seat being declared vacant.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in October 2022 took strong exception to the speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin’s decision to direct the plenary to debate the fate of Adjoa Safo and two other legislators over absenteeism.
According to him, the Speaker erred in referring the matter back to the house.
He explained that the ruling lies in the face of the constitution and threatened to challenge the decision.
The Speaker of Parliament’s ruling on the absentee Members of Parliament issue was dragged to the Supreme Court for interpretation by the Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano North, Sulemana Adamu Sanid.
Why Supreme Court?
According to the Ahafo Ano North MP, he disagrees with the Speaker’s ruling.
Mr. Sanid wanted the Supreme Court to clarify the operationalization of Article 97 (1) (c) to be sure if the ruling by the Speaker of Parliament was in consonance with the 1992 Constitution.
According to counsel for Mr. Sanid, Andy Kwame Appiah-Appiah, the Court of Appeal had already made a determination on the matter in the case of Kwaku Asare [Kwaku Azar] vs. Attorney General and that in instances like that, it is an “automatic vacation of the seat” and that the only job for the Committee of Privileges in Parliament is for the affected MP to offer an explanation why he or she was unable to attend Parliament.
He said the only determination the Committee has to make “is the reasonableness or otherwise of the explanation without more”, and that is the mandate the Constitution gives to the Committee.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin ruled that the plenary should debate and decide on the report by the Committee of Privileges on three absentee Members of Parliament including Adjoa Sarfo.
Mr Bagbin recommended that the decision to declare the seat of an MP who had absented him or herself for 15 sittings of a meeting rested with the plenary and not a committee.
He therefore said the report of the Privileges Committee, which recommended that the seat be declared vacant should be adopted and debated by the plenary for the final decision on the fate of the MP to be taken.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu reacting, expressed disagreement with the Speaker’s ruling.
Including Kennedy Ohene Agyapong for Assin Central and Henry Quartey for Ayawaso Central, the three MPs absented themselves for more than 15 sittings during the first meeting of the second session of Parliament without permission from the Speaker.
The three had been referred by the Speaker to the Privileges Committee to explain the reasons for their absence.
In line with the Standing Orders, the three absentee MPs were referred to the Privileges Committee to explain why they absented themselves for 15 days in alleged violation of Article 97(1) (c) of the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Ohene Agyapong and Quartey appeared before the committee and offered explanations for which the committee recommended that their explanations were reasonable securing them their seats.
However, Sarah Adwoa Sarfo did not appear before the committee, and according to the committee’s report, a number of efforts to get her to offer an explanation even via a Zoom call were unsuccessful.
