Parliament needs nobody with a cane to ensure MPs are doing the right thing – Muntaka laments absenteeism

The Minority Chief Whip is dissatisfied with the conduct of some of his colleagues who do not follow the rule of the House.

Muntaka Mubarak said it is assumed that every Member of Parliament will act honourably, therefore, there is no need for any form of monitoring or force to ensure order.

“MPs are supposed to be honourable so you will not need a cane and standing at the entrance of the House to ensure members obey orders,” he told Evans Mensah on Joy FM’s Top Story, Wednesday.

“This is because our constitutions and outstanding orders have given so much room, for example, if you absent yourself continuously for 15 sittings days without an excuse before you can be brought to book.

“So you have very tactical members who will come to the house and miss ten sitting days and come for a day or two and then go back to absenteeism,” he pointed out.

This, he said, is very difficult to control as he likened the House to a classroom where the only power there is the class prefect, whose powers have limits.

“We are dealing with colleagues because the parliament is not like The Multimedia Group where you have the HR and the management, parliament is like the classroom where you have the class prefect or maybe a headmaster,” he stated.

The Asawasi MP recalled an instance in which he has gotten up to do his work as Minority Chief Whip but ended up with some colleagues hurling insults at him.

Muntaka further revealed how records taking of MPs who absent themselves from sittings has always been an arduous task.

According to him, some MP present at sittings sign in for members who do not attend whilst some deliberately refuse to even when they are present.