The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has addressed the recent absence of New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs in Parliament, clarifying that it was not intentional.
He explained that the delay was due to an unexpected setback during a caucus meeting, leading to a miscommunication that prevented the MPs from being present when the parliamentary session began.
The absence of the NPP MPs caused Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin to adjourn the House indefinitely on Thursday, November 7, 2024, as there was no quorum to proceed with business.
This marked the second time in a short period that Parliament was adjourned due to similar circumstances.
Agyapong stressed that the absence was not part of a deliberate boycott but rather an unfortunate oversight, and that the NPP MPs had every intention of attending the session.
The adjournment came after the Majority caucus had called for the session to address urgent legislative matters, but without the participation of the NPP MPs, the session was unable to proceed as planned.
“We were at a caucus meeting and we took a decision that I should go with the leadership and engage the speaker and the NDC caucus then we went in because we heard they were sitting on our side of the house, which is the right-hand side of the speaker.
“Unfortunately, when we got there, they were sitting. That is why we returned, not that I was running away and we couldn’t stop the proceedings. So, it was not deliberate that the NPP refused.
“We need to engage the speaker. I am not the leader and I am also not one of them. But they respect my opinion. Unfortunately, our caucus meeting took so long, there was no TV there for us to know that they were sitting,” he stated.
