Don’t ever say you will beat anyone in this house

Afenyo-Markin [L] and Ernest Norgbey

The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has sternly warned the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Ernest Henry Norgbey, not to ever issue a threat of physical assault against any of his colleague lawmakers.

This follows reports that Norgbey, requested his leader, the Majority Leader, to allow members of the Majority Caucus to physically assault their colleagues on the other side of the House.

Responding to that threat on the floor of Parliament, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, condemned the utterances of the MP for Ashaiman and urged him never to repeat such reprehensible statement.

He further noted that the MP is gaining notoriety for such condemnable conduct, which is unacceptable for a lawmaker who should know better.

“Honourable Norgbey of Ashaiman sought permission from his leaders, and I am happy that the respected Majority Leader said no to his request. He said, ‘Leader, allow us to beat them.’ Who are you going to beat? Mr. Speaker, I want my respected colleague Norgbey to know that never ever should it happen that he will open his mouth and say he will beat someone in this House. He is gaining notoriety for this. We are all brothers and sisters, and when we are unhappy about something, we express that displeasure, but we will not attack anybody.”

He continued, “We are law-abiding, so I will plead with my respected friend Norgbey that in the future, when there are such situations, he should know how to make such utterances. I will not accept it, but today, because of the engagement with my respected colleague who is also my senior – the Majority Leader remains my senior, and I respect him, and I respect the Chair. Our side will respect your side, all in the interest of Ghana.”

Historical context

In July 2007, an incident occurred where a back-bencher MP from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) set an unenviable record in Ghana’s parliamentary democracy when he violently slapped his colleague.

Hon. Alhaji Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim, MP for Yagaba-Kubori in the Northern Region, delivered a hefty slap to the left cheek of Hon. Sampson Ahi, then MP for Juaboso, in Parliament around 10:00 a.m, following a misunderstanding between the two.

After delivering the thunderous slap, Tanko, who was physically imposing, stood up from his chair and further threatened Ahi, saying, “If you joke, I will beat you.”

This drew the attention of a few parliamentarians who rushed to the scene to prevent further escalation.

According to Ahi, when he arrived in the chamber, Tanko, who was already in his chair, had blocked the way. Ahi tapped him on the back and asked him to pull his chair forward to create a passage to his seat, which was next to Tanko’s.

Though Tanko eventually made way, he later turned to Ahi and said, “Next time, don’t do that foolish thing again.”

Surprised by Tanko’s overreaction to a harmless tap and request, Ahi asked how his actions constituted foolishness.

This question further enraged Tanko, whose next response was a hefty right-hand slap that landed on Ahi’s left cheek, momentarily dazing him.

Tanko was whisked away to cool off outside the chamber, while Ahi remained speechless and motionless in his seat for some time before stepping out to speak to journalists.

Neither MP returned to the chamber after the incident until the House adjourned after 2:00 p.m.

Subsequently, the Minority Caucus, led by the then Minority Leader, Alban Bagbin, [now Speaker of Parliament] issued a statement condemning the fracas between the two lawmakers.

“Who are you going to beat? Never, ever should it be that he would open his mouth to say he will beat somebody in this house,” Afenyo-Markin to Ernest Henry Norgbey, MP for Ashaiman. pic.twitter.com/EX4PUiUXmE

— DailyGraphic GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) January 24, 2025

KA

Meanwhile, see Afenyo-Markin’s hilarious remark to Eric Opoku during vetting session