Afenyo-Markin petitions Speaker to recall Parliament for urgent government business

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has petitioned Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to recall Parliament for an emergency sitting to address six urgent government matters and 17 pending bills.

The request follows the Supreme Court's 5-2 ruling on Tuesday, 12 November, which overturned Speaker Bagbin’s declaration on the four vacant seats controversy and restored the NPP’s status as the majority caucus. You will recall that on November 7, Parliament was indefinitely adjourned by the Speaker due to the absence of NPP MPs in the chamber.

In a petition dated Friday, 22 November, Afenyo-Markin emphasised that several critical government matters remained unresolved, including:

1. Tax exemptions for beneficiaries under the One District, One Factory Programme.

2. Approval of a $250 million Ghana Financial Stability Fund from the International Development Association.

3. Consideration of the President’s nominations for Supreme Court Justices.

4. Ratification of mining lease agreements for Ashanti Bauxite Company Ltd. and Barari DV Ghana Ltd.

He also outlined 17 pending bills, including:

1. Environmental Protection Agency Bill, 2024

2. Social Protection Bill, 2023

3. Intestate Succession Bill, 2022

4. University of Sports for Development Bill, 2024

Afenyo-Markin argued that recalling the house would symbolise national unity as Ghana approaches the 7 December general elections, stating:

It would demonstrate that, even as we approach the peak of the electoral season, Parliament remains steadfast in its constitutional duties and committed to advancing the national interest through bipartisan cooperation.

He urged the Speaker to exercise his mandate under Orders 57(3) and 58(4) to facilitate the recall, adding:

These are high-priority business for Government.

However, the NDC MPs have signalled their intention to boycott any emergency recall. National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia has directed NDC MPs to abstain, citing the move as a waste of state resources.

Read the petition below:

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