Tensions rose in the Ghanaian Parliament as confusion over scheduling led to heated exchanges and a physical altercation during parliamentary proceedings.
The situation unfolded after a series of changes to the schedule, which had been affected by adjustments to outstanding work from Wednesday’s session. Initially, a revised schedule had placed a nomination for Thursday’s business, but later changes moved certain items to Friday. This shift led to a situation where the minority leader expressed willingness to prioritize a specific nomination for Thursday’s business. But concerns were raised regarding the fairness of this decision.
A series of disagreements ensued when it was decided that only certain individuals would be vetted on the day, with others postponed to a later date. The Speaker of Parliament, in an attempt to manage the situation, spoke of the challenges of maintaining the schedule and the difficulty of accommodating the minority leader’s requests.
Speaker of parliament emphasized the importance of sticking to the parliamentary schedule. Nothing that a decision to change the agenda late in the day, after much work had already been done, created confusion and frustrations among the members.
The Speaker also expressed concerns about a decision made in the evening that would stop a number of individuals from being vetted as originally planned. Despite efforts to communicate with those involved and to find a resolution, these changes resulted in escalating tensions. And also, physical confrontations eventually broke out during the parliamentary proceedings.
As tempers flared, the Speaker intervened in an attempt to maintain order, particularly when one of the committee members, identified as Chas, was involved in a confrontation with another parliamentarian. The situation became more intense when the two men became physically engaged, with one member being trapped between tables. The Speaker was seen rushing to prevent further escalation, while security personnel attempted to intervene.
In a statement, the Speaker emphasized the importance of professionalism and decorum in the parliamentary setting. Calling on colleagues to maintain respect for each other despite differing opinions in the parliamentary proceedings. The Speaker’s efforts were supported by Deputy Marshal Bawa and other security personnel, who worked to de-escalate the situation.
Despite the chaos, the Speaker sought to restore calm by urging members to focus on completing the evening’s business and return the next day to continue their work.
Chaos Erupts in Ghana’s Parliamentary Proceedings Over Ministerial Vetting
Chaos erupted in Ghana’s parliamentary proceedings late on Thursday night during a meeting to vet the country’s new ministerial appointments, leading to the destruction of furniture and physical altercations between lawmakers.
Police were called to the scene as MPs damaged tables and microphones in the midst of the chaos during the parliamentary proceedings. The vetting committee, responsible for reviewing ministerial nominations, had disagreed on several issues. With the accusations that opposition MPs were dragging out the process to settle political scores.
On Friday morning, the chairman of the vetting committee issued an apology to the Ghanaian public, describing the events as “totally unacceptable.”
The cross-party committee had been scheduled to vet three lawmakers from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC). They had been nominated for ministerial positions after the NDC’s victory over the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in December’s elections.
However, NDC MPs expressed frustration over the lengthy questioning of the nominees, particularly the leader of the NPP in parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin. He was accused of prolonging the vetting process, spending over five hours questioning communications minister-designate Samuel Nartey George.
Many NDC MPs believed the extended questioning was a form of retribution from opposition members, who wanted George to retract his criticism of former President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia.
Tensions escalated as committee members began shouting, pushing, and shoving each other, resulting in the upturning of tables during the parliamentary proceedings. In response, the Speaker of Parliament suspended four lawmakers — three from the NPP and one from the NDC — for two weeks.
On Friday, Afenyo-Markin defended the extended questioning, stating that parliamentary customs allowed committee members to “enquire deeply into every nominee of the president, without limit to questions.” He accused the NDC of attempting to “frustrate” the process.
Due to the disruptions, the vetting session was adjourned until Friday, with the chaos leaving a significant impact on the proceedings.
