Minority Boycotts Vetting Over Speaker’s Directive
Opposition MPs Protest Committee Reconstitution and MP Suspensions, Halting Vetting Process
- Minority members of the Appointments Committee withdrew from vetting proceedings
- The Speaker suspended four MPs, including the Majority and Minority Chief Whips
- Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin insisted on suspending the process for consultations
In a bold move, the Minority members of the Appointments Committee have withdrawn from vetting proceedings, protesting a directive by Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to reconstitute the committee.
The walkout was prompted after Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin raised concerns with Committee Chairman Bernard Ahiafor, citing the Speaker’s ruling.
The directive followed the suspension of four MPs—Majority and Minority Chief Whips Frank Annoh-Dompreh and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, along with Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli and Jerry Ahmed Shaib—over misconduct during a chaotic parliamentary session on January 31, 2024.
Afenyo-Markin insisted that the vetting process should be paused for consultations with the Speaker. However, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga countered that the Speaker had scheduled discussions for Monday, February 3, 2025.
Despite Ayariga’s clarification, the Minority stood their ground, refusing to participate in the proceedings until their concerns were addressed.
