The Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, has described the Speaker’s decision to refer the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to the Privileges Committee of Parliament as a calculated attempt to gag the Minority Caucus and cause deep division among members.
She accused both the Speaker and the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, of scheming a coordinated campaign of intimidation, harassment, and institutional abuse to remove the Minority Leader from the ECOWAS Parliament.
She explained that the two removed Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s name from Ghana’s delegation to ECOWAS Parliament without any consultation or seeking her consent.
“This is a cynical, diabolical, and constitutionally perverse scheme ever orchestrated within the precincts of Ghana’s Parliament,” she said, saying that the move had embarrassed Ghana before the community of West African nations.
Vindictive persecution
Speaking at a press conference on Friday in Ms Appiagyei said, “Mahama Ayariga had the audacity to petition the Speaker to refer the Minority Leader to the Privileges Committee for performing his lawful duties as a sworn member and Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.”
“This is not parliamentary oversight. This is vindictive persecution as the timing is revealing. This petition came exactly one day after the Minority Leader led our side at the Appointments Committee to expose the NDC government’s dishonourable attempt to secure parliamentary vetting for the then acting Chief Justice nominee, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.”
“This is retaliation, pure and simple, and the Speaker, rather than dismiss this absurd petition out of hand, has entertained it, dignified it with a ruling, and referred it to the Privileges Committee. This is not leadership. This is complicity,” she said.
On Thursday, the Speaker referred the Minority Leader to the Privileges Committee to determine whether his decision to attend a session in the ECOWAS Parliament constitutes contempt of Parliament.
