Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has lamented the increasing number of visitors to the precinct of the House.
He decried the continuous attendance to the House by some MPs’ Research Assistants and National Service Personnel in defiance to the Speaker’s directive pursuant to the COVID-19 imperatives.
This, he said, is a threat to the fight against the disease in the legislature and the efforts to curtail its spread in the House.
The Speaker, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, before the House went on recess in April gave a directive to reduce the number of visitors to the House as part of measures to prevent the introduction and spread of the Coronavirus in Parliament.
The directive was supposed to be in force after the Parliament return from the recess this May and resumed sittings.
Presenting the business statement for the fourth week ending Friday, June 5, 2020, the Majority leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs complained about the disregard of the Speakers directive.
He appealed to Members of Parliament and staff of the Parliamentary Service as well as the staff of other institutions working within the premises of the House to desist from inviting visitors to the House unless it is compelling to do so.
According to him, in such circumstances clearance should be sought from the leadership of the respective caucuses or from the Clerk to Parliament.
Speaker Mike Oquaye has been at the forefront of Parliament’s fight to prevent the possible introduction and spread of the Coronavirus.
He has used various platforms to urge both Members and staff to follow the protocols announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for preventing the spread of the disease.
The Speaker, two weeks ago, directed voluntary testing for MPs, the staff of Parliament and the Press Corps, which he subsequently upgraded to mandatory vesting.
All persons working within Parliament are therefore expected to have undergone the COVID-19 test.
Professor Mike Oquaye also donated three months of his salary in the Coronavirus Alleviation Fund and also led the House to make presentations to the fund.
