Member for Parliament for North Tongu constituency and Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has given Dome Kwabenya MP, Adwoa Safo, a three-day ultimatum to explain the circumstances under which she was flown into the country via a private jet to vote in the last session of parliament.
According to him, the services of the private jet cost $140,000 dollars.
He contends that this cost is unjustified and must be investigated by the Special Prosecutor.
“You need $140, 000 to rent the HBQ, that is $4,800 per hour. Why then are we only concerned about GHS120,000, which is far lesser an amount, and we don’t seem to be interested in the $140,000. At today’s interest rate, that is about GHS 948,500, almost a million, that is a huge sum.”
“If we sum the two amounts, we are looking at an excess of GHS 1 million, which has been spent on one person, just because she is needed to vote on the E-levy. The question is where are we getting the monies from especially at a time government says the economy is struggling?
The Dome-Kwabenya MP has been the subject of criticisms from some of her colleagues for absenting herself from Parliament since the current Parliament started sitting.
They accuse her of holding the Majority Caucus to ransom, considering the numbers needed to pass the controversial E-levy bill.
Adwoa Safo has been accused of requesting to be made the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, a position she held in the previous Parliament, and had decided to stay away from Parliament because her demand had been turned down.
Per the constitution and parliamentary procedure, an MP who is absent from Parliament for more than 15 days can be hauled before the Privileges Committee, which can lead to the seat being declared vacant.
