Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Rasheed Draman, has called on Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin to enforce stricter measures against absenteeism in Parliament as the Ninth Parliament reconvenes for its latest sitting.

Dr Draman described persistent absenteeism among Members of Parliament as a serious issue that continues to weaken legislative work and undermine effective parliamentary oversight.

He argued that the problem has persisted partly because some MPs deliberately absent themselves from sittings despite provisions in Parliament’s Standing Orders.

According to him, findings from ACEPA’s parliamentary monitoring reports showed high absenteeism levels across both the Majority and Minority caucuses, warning that the situation would continue unless sanctions are enforced against habitual absentees.

“When we did our monitoring report, both sides were guilty. When you take the NDC, their level of absenteeism was around 80% during the last meeting. I think they are a little worse than the NPP. The independent members is also hovering around 70%. I think we have gotten to the point where the Right Hon. Speaker is supposed to crack the whip,” he stated.

Dr Draman made the remarks during an interview on Channel One TV on Wednesday, May 20, ahead of Parliament’s resumption on Thursday, May 21.

He also expressed concern about the scheduling of committee meetings during plenary sittings, saying the overlap often forces MPs to choose between attending committee engagements and participating in proceedings in the chamber.

“One of the things that Parliament can do is to make sure that there are no conflicts between committee meetings and plenary because oftentimes, I think committee members attend committee meetings while the plenary is taking place,” he added.