Minority ranking member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, wants parliament to be immediately shut down following revelations that some Members of Parliament (MPs) who tested positive for COVID-19 still come for sittings.

The majority leader Friday disclosed on the floor of the house that some MPs who have asked to by the Medical team of Parliament to self-isolate after the mandatory testing of members and staff of the house were being defiant.

This, Mr. Akandoh, fears compromises the safety of all the MPs in house since they are unaware who has the virus. He thus wants the house closed immediately.

In a media interview shortly after Friday’s sitting, the Juaboso constituency MP says leadership of the house must act swiftly.

“I am demanding that the speaker should be firm to close parliament with immediate effect because we are not safe”, he said

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP alleged the only reason the house continues to sit amidst the COVID-19 pandemic was to ensure the Electoral Commission’s Constitutional Instrument (C.I. 126) matures.

“…this government is doing politics with this disease, you know why? When the news broke it was because the C.I. 125 (sic) had not matured so they have kept all of us here with this risk. Now that the C.I. 126 has matured the majority leader is now coming to tell us that they are people who have indeed tested positive”, he claimed.

He said he had expected the majority leader to demonstrate leadership by engaging those who he said have been asked to isolate to ensure they do so.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has directed the Marshals Office to deal with research assistants who continue to attend office duties within the enclave of Parliament despite his directive that they should stay home.