The Minority Caucus in Ghana’s Parliament is determined to have Speaker Alban Bagbin reverse his recent decision to suspend four Members of Parliament (MPs) involved in a violent altercation during a ministerial vetting session last Thursday.

On Friday, Speaker Bagbin suspended three Minority MPs—Frank Annor-Dompreh, the Minority Chief Whip; Ahmed Shaib, Deputy Minority Chief Whip; and Hassan Tampuli, MP for Gushegu—as well as Majority MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor for their roles in the chaos that led to the destruction of state property.

At a press briefing on Monday, February 3, 2025, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated that the Minority Caucus had reported the matter to the national executives of their party and was awaiting a decision. He stressed that the suspension violated the MPs’ rights, as they were not given a fair hearing.

“In substance, he [Speaker Bagbin] is taking actions that affect the rights of our members. We believe he must grant them a hearing,” Afenyo-Markin said, adding that the party was pursuing diplomatic channels to address the issue. “We are also engaging our party’s national leadership, and they take this matter seriously.”

Afenyo-Markin revealed that the Minority Caucus intends to meet with Speaker Bagbin to discuss the suspensions. “We will forward our concerns in a memo to his office and expect to meet with him on February 3, 2025, to address our grievances,” he said.

The suspended MPs are accused of contributing to a violent disruption during the vetting process, an incident that has sparked significant controversy. The Minority has also vowed not to be intimidated by the Majority and emphasized its commitment to standing firm in its demands.

“We will never surrender to intimidation. We’ve been cooperative, but they want to bully us,” Afenyo-Markin said, stressing that the Minority will continue to push for fairness and due process.

Source:TheDotNews