Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has expressed the desire to remain in Parliament as she faces removal from the House.
She said God had helped her and her family and Taifa is where she belonged and knew she would be back to continue being their MP although she had been under pressure for her continuous absence from the country.
“Taifa is where I belong, I know I will be back, and I will continue to be your Member of Parliament although I have been under severe pressure for my continuous absence from the country,” Ms Safo indicated.
Speaking at the Pentecost Church at Taifa on Sunday, the MP noted that she had been living in the US for the past year and requested for leave of absence in 2021 from her then-ministerial post as the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.
Ms Safo attributed her long absence from Parliament to family issues including her son being unwell.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo revoked her appointment as Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection when she had not been at post for more than one year.
Efforts by the Privileges Committee of Parliament to get her to give reasons for her continued absence from the House failed to yield any positive results but the committee failed to achieve consensus in its recommendations on whether absenting herself for more than the mandatory 15 days without permission warranted her seat being declared vacant.
Before Parliament went on recess in July, the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin deferred his ruling on whether the Dome Kwabenya parliamentary seat should be declared vacant or not following her failure to honour a meeting by the committee on her continuous absence from the House.
Ms Safo was one of three MPs who were called before the Privileges Committee for being absent from parliamentary duties without any reason, beyond the permissible period.
Even though the two other MPs, Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central Constituency in the Central Region, and Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso West Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, appeared before the committee, Ms Safo failed to honour the summons.
MPs will be debating the fate of Ms. Safo on the floor of Parliament.
