THE Minority in Parliament has explained why it has decided to shun the sittings of the Adhoc Committee probing the chaos that occurred at the sitting of the Appointments Committee on January 30, 2025.
In a memo addressed to the chairman of the committee, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus was waiting on the decision of the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, having written to him demanding the removal of Mr Bedzrah, MP, Ho West, as chairman of the committee.
“Given the significance of the issues raised (in our memo to the Speaker), the Minority caucus considers it prudent to await the Speaker’s response before taking any further steps in relation to the committee’s work,” the memo reads in part.
This decision, the Minority Leader and MP for Effutu said should not be misconstrued as an unwillingness on the part of the Minority to engage with the committee.
“Rather, it is a necessary step to ensure that due process is followed and the process remains fair, impartial and credible,” the Minority Leader stated.
He expressed the confidence that the Speaker would address their concerns in a manner that upholds the integrity of the Committee’s work and the broader interest of Parliament.
In his earlier memo addressed to the Speaker on February 7, 2025, the Minority had accused the chairman of the committee of bias and demanded his removal.
“Bedzrah’s public pronouncements have created a perception of bias, particularly against the Minority, and have compromised the credibility of the committee’s work,” Mr Afenyo-Markin had stated in his memo.
The request for Mr Bedzrah’s removal, Mr Afenyo-Markin said was not a challenge to the Speaker’s authority, but a necessary corrective measure to “restore faith in the process and ensure that justice is done fairly”.
The Adhoc Committee was put together to probe the chaos that resulted in the damaging of tables and telecommunication gadgets, over the vetting of some ministerial nominees.
Meanwhile, the Speaker has lifted the suspension of four Members of Parliament (MPs) who were suspended after a clash during the vetting session on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
The altercation occurred between Minority and Majority MPs, escalating tensions in Parliament.
The disagreement reached a peak after the suspension of the four MPs, triggering a debate over whether the vetting should proceed on January 31, 2025.
They four MPs are the two chief Whips for both the Minority and Majority caucuses, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor and Frank Annoh-Dompreh, as well as Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli and Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
The lifting of the suspension seeks to restore order in Parliament following the disruptions.
This was after both the majority and minority leaders appealed to the Speaker of Parliament to lift the ban on the four MPs.
Mr Bagbin said, “So I have lifted the suspension order. I do so instantly and takes effect immediately. The affected Hon. Members are permitted now to enter the precincts of the house. I must say they actually complied with the orders.”
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
