Adoa News Adoa News
Related Articles
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has cited Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin for contempt and referred him to the Privileges Committee for further investigation.
The Speaker’s decision follows a petition from Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who accused Afenyo-Markin of defying a parliamentary resolution that excluded him from Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament.
Presiding over proceedings on Thursday, November 27, Bagbin announced: “I refer the complaint against the Minority Leader to the Privileges Committee and report to the House.” He urged the Committee to handle the matter with professionalism and neutrality, cautioning MPs against making public comments that could influence the process. “I urge the Committee to discharge its mandate with decorum and impartiality. I urge MPs to refrain from public commentary,” he added.
The matter stems from a petition Ayariga filed on November 11, in which he alleged that Afenyo-Markin disregarded Parliament’s directive removing him from the ECOWAS delegation. According to Ayariga, the ECOWAS Parliament initially refused to swear in Ghana’s representatives after Afenyo-Markin appeared in Port Harcourt despite his replacement. He claimed the impasse was only resolved after Ghana threatened to withdraw its entire delegation from the subregional parliament.
In the petition, Ayariga described Afenyo-Markin’s conduct as a breach of parliamentary privilege and called for disciplinary action.
With the Speaker’s referral, the Privileges Committee will now determine whether the Minority Leader’s actions constitute contempt of Parliament and recommend appropriate sanctions.
