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Tensions flared in Parliament on Thursday, January 30, as members of the Minority and Majority caucuses clashed during the vetting of Health Minister-designate Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Foreign Affairs Minister-designate Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The uproar, which led to disruptions and damage to parliamentary furniture, was further inflamed by accusations against the Clerk of Parliament.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin directly accused the Clerk, Gifty Jiagge-Gobah, of being partisan and allegedly working in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking to the media after the chaotic session, Afenyo-Markin did not hold back in his criticism.
“The nominees—where we have to ask them questions, we do. Nothing will stop us from asking the necessary questions. It’s not every nominee; some of their nominees spent five minutes. NDC is always up to intimidating people. They think that they must always bully,” he asserted.
He further alleged that the Clerk had unilaterally advertised the vetting schedule without prior agreement.
“The Clerk to the Committee is a partisan clerk. She’s a typical NDC member, she agrees with them, and she advertises and informs people to come. On January 29, there was no agreement, no meeting, but at 10:00 pm, she advertised,” he claimed.
The chaos erupted when the Minority demanded that the vetting be postponed to Friday, citing procedural concerns. The Majority, however, opposed this request, insisting that proceedings should continue as scheduled. The standoff escalated, with some Minority MPs resorting to disruptive tactics, including banging tables and damaging microphones, in an attempt to halt the session.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, in response to the disorder, condemned the events, stating that they had “dented the image of Parliament.” Ultimately, he announced the suspension of the vetting process and rescheduled it for Friday, January 31.
The post Minority blames parliament clerk for vetting Chaos; Afenyo-Markin calls her ‘a typical NDC member’ first appeared on 3News.
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