[ 2021-02-10 ]

Parliament goes on three-week break over Covid-19

By Benjamin Mensah

Accra, Feb. 9, GNA - Parliament will break for
three weeks following hallowing results of
Covid-19 tests of members undertaken last week.

Announcing the break, Speaker Alban Sumana
Kingsford Bagbin directed that members of the
Appointment Committee of the House, Committee
Clerk and ancillary staff would however be in the
House to vet President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo
Addo's ministerial nominees.

Speaker Bagbin announcing the break, said the
test, conducted by the Legon-based Noguchi
Memorial Institute for Medical Researc,h at the
House, came out with 157 Members of Staff and 17
Members of Parliament (MPs) hit by the deadly
disease.

“Honourable Members, having regard to the
upsurge of the coronavirus infectionin the House
viz 17 MPs and 151 staff and ancillary workers in
the precincts of Parliament, and the fact that the
Appointments Committee is yet to commence
consideration of His Excellency the President's
ministerial nominees, I have, in consultation with
Leadership, decided that Sitting of the House be
adjourned for three (3) weeks,” Speaker Bagbin
said.

He added: “Accordingly, with the exception of
Hon. Members of the Appointments Committee, the
Clerk to the Committee and other supporting staff
who will be engaged in the task of considering the
President's nominees for ministerial appointments,
the House will take a break as from tomorrow,
Wednesday, 10 February 2021 to Tuesday, 2 March,
2021.”

Speaker Bagbin urged the MPs to comply with the
strict COVID -19 protocols and regulations; and
also MPs and Staff to re-submit themselves to the
Parliament Medical Centre for re-testing after two
weeks from tomorrow to ascertain their status
before the resumption of the House.

He said Parliament would meanwhile continue with
the weekly disinfection and sanitization of its
premises and precincts.

The House was accordingly adjourned till Tuesday,
2nd March, 2021 at 14 hours in the afternoon.

Speaker Bagbin recalled that at the last adjourned
date on 5th February, 2021, the House, pursuant to
the adoption of the Business Statement, decided
that Parliament sat on Tuesdays and Thursdays
until otherwise decided.

The House further decided that not more than
one-third of Members would attend Sittings of the
House in the Chamber at any given time, in
furtherance of the directive of President
Akufo-Addo in his update on the COVID-19 situation
on 31st January, 2021, announcing new measures to
contain the pandemic.

On the Appointments Committee sittings, the
Speaker said the Committee would commence
consideration and public hearing of President's
nominees for Ministerial appointments, and by the
end of the three weeks, the Appointments Committee
would have submitted reports for the consideration
of the House.

Source - GNA

... go Back