Members of Parliament (MP) were on Thursday urged to refrain from absenteeism, since it does not speak well of them as the nation's law makers.
"If you keep absenting yourselves for up to 15 days you will risk being sent to the Privileges Committee," Mrs Adeliane Bamford Addo, Speaker of
Parliament cautioned.
The Speaker gave the caution after Ms Boateng Beatrice Bernice, MP for New Juaben South, expressed concern about absentee members' list which kept reflecting in the votes and parliamentary proceedings, and which also
indicated that they were absent without any permission.
She said all members who wanted to absent themselves had to take an official leave of absence.
Mr Doe Adjaho, First Deputy Speaker, said there were two absentee categories, namely absentee with permission and absentee without permission
but who had taken leave of absence from the Speaker. He added that those who absented themselves without any permission and stayed out of the House for up to 15 days had to face the Privileges Committee.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Minority Leader, said Ms Boateng's concern had no place in the standing orders of the House because those absent had the right to be absent as stated in the standing orders.
Mr Cletus Avoka, Majority Leader, said there were lapses in the standing orders which would be looked at when the parliamentary handbook was
to be amended.