Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram Samuel George has written to the Speaker communicating his absence from the house over threats of COVID-19.

In a letter copied to the leadership of the house, Mr George explained that the decision is borne out of a conviction that Parliament is “failing to exercise its truly intended role in crisis moments like this. I hold the strongest conviction that we are pandering whilst the flames that may engulf the Republic are being stoked.”

According to him, a measure taken towards safeguarding legislators and other workers in Parliament from the virus leaves much to be desired.

He commended the Speaker for directing the installation of hand sanitizers at vantage points but is unenthused by further arrangements that were supposed to make the usage of these devices safer to use, such as sensor-enabled sanitizers instead of the manual versions.

In the communique dated March 24, 2020, the legislator, however, indicated that he was prepared “to come to work every day from morning to night if it is about working with the Executive to deal with the pandemic at hand.”

The Ningo Prampram MP added that he will not “to risk exposure to the virus by coming to Parliament every day just to come and work on bills that are of no emergency nature and do not relate to coronavirus or to come and sit and approve loans and tax waivers for private businesses, many of which are foreign.”

He said he will not unnecessarily risk his life to go do business that is not of an urgent nature and has nothing to do with Coronavirus because planned measures to make the house safer have not been expected.

“I would be absenting myself from parliament hence except there is a matter relating to coronavirus which parliament needs to lend support to the Executive,” he wrote.

He, however, added that while away, he will “spend time with my District Directorate of Health to increase public sensitisation in the constituency.”

Read the full letter below.