Parliament Adjourned Indefinitely as NPP MPs’ Absence Stalls Legislative Session

Speaker Alban Bagbin adjourned Ghana’s Parliament indefinitely on Thursday, November 7, after Members of Parliament (MPs) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) failed to attend the emergency session. Their absence left the House without the quorum needed to conduct legislative business, preventing any action on the anticipated agenda of pressing national issues.

Expressing disappointment, Speaker Bagbin emphasized that, despite having quorum for a session, no business could proceed because the Order Paper, which guides the day’s parliamentary activities, was empty. This was due to the absence of the NPP members, who had initially requested the recall.

“Matters they requested for consideration are not on the Order Paper, and in fact, there is no Order Paper because the business committee could not meet due to the absence of those who called for the session,” Speaker Bagbin remarked. He added, “One side of the House is completely empty. Without business adopted for today, I am compelled to once more adjourn the sitting indefinitely.”

Following the adjournment, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus, criticized the NPP MPs, accusing them of wasting state resources. He pointed out that significant costs are involved in recalling Parliament, costs that taxpayers bear, and emphasized that their absence squandered these funds and delayed important legislative work.

Dr. Forson called for NPP MPs to take responsibility for the disruption and urged Parliament to consider measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future, stressing the importance of accountability and commitment to serving the public.