The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has cited Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin for contempt and has further referred him to the Privileges Committee for thorough investigation.
This decision comes in response to a petition from Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, following Afenyo-Markin’s opposition to a move that sought to exclude him from Ghana’s ECOWAS delegation.
While presiding over the proceedings on Thursday, November 27, the Speaker informed the House, “I refer the complaint against the Minority Leader to the Privileges Committee and report to the House”.
He urged the Committee to conduct its work with professionalism and neutrality, stressing the importance of restraint from MPs during this process.
“I urge the Committee to discharge its mandate with decorum and impartiality. I urge MPs to refrain from public commentary,” he added.
On November 11, Ayariga submitted a petition to the Speaker requesting that Afenyo-Markin be referred to the Privileges Committee for allegedly violating a parliamentary resolution that had removed him from Ghana’s ECOWAS Parliament delegation.
Ayariga stated that the ECOWAS Parliament had initially declined to swear in Ghana’s delegation after Afenyo-Markin appeared in Port Harcourt, despite having been replaced on the team. He noted that the matter was only resolved after Ghana threatened to withdraw completely from the ECOWAS Parliament.
In his petition, Ayariga characterised Afenyo-Markin’s conduct as a violation of parliamentary privilege and called for disciplinary action.
