The Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu has rubbished the Minority’s call for the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Osei-Owusu to recuse himself from the proceedings of the Privileges Committee.
The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, had said Joseph Osei-Owusu, who doubles as the Chair of the Committee, has already made comments prejudicial to the conduct of one of the MPs who had been referred to the committee, Adwoa Safo, and as such, is not fit to preside over a matter concerning her.
However, Habib Iddrisu said the standing orders of Parliament make it compulsory for Joe Osei-Owusu to serve as the Chairman of the committee.
The Tolon legislator said Ahmed Ibrahim’s call is thus unfounded.
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“The call by my colleague is completely unfounded, and it has no basis. What he is asking for is that we should amend our standing orders. Joe Wise being the Chairman of the Privileges Committee is the creation of our standing orders. It says that the committee of privilege, consists of the First Deputy Speaker as the Chairman so if you want him to go out, who is the Deputy Speaker of Parliament? He is not there because he is just a Member of Parliament and has been chosen by the Majority Caucus. That is not the case,” he explained on Eyewitness News.
The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, on April 5, 2022, referred three Members of Parliament, namely Sarah Adwoa Safo, Henry Quartey, and Kennedy Agyepong to the Privileges Committee for absenting themselves from over fifteen sittings of the House.
According to the Speaker, the absence of the MPs without his permission constitutes a breach of the rules of the house.
