Mumuni Nurideen Muhammed, the Member of Parliament for Nalerigu/Gambaga, has said the malfunctioning air-conditioners in the Job 600 office complex have contributed to Members of Parliament not showing up to the chamber.
According to Mumuni Nurideen Muhammed, the Majority leader must urgently address the situation to allow for a conducive working environment for MPs.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, November 7, Mr Nurideen stated, “…For some time now, members of this House have put up complaints to the Majority Leader and the Leader of Government Business about the office air conditioners, and up till now, we have not seen any action from the Leader of Government Business.
“Some of these air conditioners not working have contributed to the members not coming to Parliament because if you come to Parliament and you do not have anywhere to sit in the Chamber, it makes it difficult for some of these Members of Parliament.
“I am pleading with the Leader of Government Business to, as a matter of urgency, look into it so that we will see how best the air conditioners can be fixed for members,” he stated.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, however, dismissed the justification.
He insisted that faulty air conditioners cannot serve as an excuse for absenteeism.
“I agree with you that we need to urgently fix the air conditioners, but your challenges with the air conditioners cannot be grounds for not showing up.
If you give that indication to the public, you are essentially telling civil servants that when the air conditioner in their offices is not working, they should also not go to work,” he countered.
The debate stems from mounting public concern over lawmakers’ attendance in parliament.
Meanwhile, the attendance record from the ninth parliament sitting from January and March 2025 has revealed the Members of Parliament (MPs) who recorded the highest number of absences during the House’s session in 2025.
The report covered 43 sitting of the ninth parliament from January and March 2025.
The attendance record from Parliament exposed the MP for Bortianor-Ngleshi, Amanfro Felix Akwetey Nii Okle, as the most absent lawmaker, missing 23 sittings, followed by the MP for Nkawkaw, missing 22 sittings and the Kumawu MP Ernest Yaw Anim, missing 21 sittings.
“Other MPs with high absentee rates include Col. Kwadwo Damoah (Rtd.) of Jaman South, who missed 19 sittings; Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam and Minister for Finance, who was absent 17 times; and Blay Nyameke Armah of Sekondi, who missed 16 sittings.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu and Minister for Foreign Affairs, recorded 15 absences, while Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie (Effiduase-Asokore), Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah (Takoradi), and Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng (Obuasi West) each missed 14 sittings”.
Also, “Sam Nartey George (Ningo-Prampram), Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo (Wa Central) — Minister for Employment — and Francis-Xavier Sosu (Madina), were each absent 13 times”.
Furthermore, Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has threatened Members of Parliament who fail to attend sittings.
According to him, the Members of Parliament who fail to attend sittings risk losing their seats.
Speaker Babgin revealed, he received attendance reports of the first and second sittings in parliament, but decided not to publish in the hope of the attendance improving.