Former Minority Chief Whip Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, who is currently the Minister of Interior, has revealed that he warned Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin on the consequences of him joining Ghana’s delegation to ECOWAS Parliament.
The Member of Parliament for Asawase further revealed that he had advised the Effutu MP not to travel to Port Harcourt and that there would be consequences for such action.
Mr Afenyo-Markin’s attendance of the ECOWAS Parliamentary meeting against a resolution passed by the Ninth Parliament was brought to the attention of the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who ruled on Thursday, November 27 that the Committee of Privileges and Immunities should investigate the matter.
This has been greeted with strong resistance with the Minority demanding an apology from the Speaker and the complainant, Mahama Ayariga.
Addressing the press on Friday, November 28, Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei said she had voluntarily given her position to the Minority Leader and saw the stand-off in Port Harcourt as an embarrassment to the country.
Minority demands withdrawal of Speaker’s referral of Afenyo-Markin to Privileges C’tee
Speaking on newsfile on Accra-based Joy FM, Alhaji Muntaka said the Minority Leader rather “misbehaved and embarrassed the country” at the international Parliamentary meeting.
He cited precedents where a Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi, gave up his position to Ho West MP Emmanuel Bedzrah but by the approval of Parliament.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP insisted that in the current case, the House did not approve the proposal to have Mr Afenyo-Markin replace Ms Appiagyei.
He adduced that Mr Afenyo-Markin’s acceptance of such a role would have consequences for his duties in the Ninth Parliament, hence the disapproval in a resolution by the House.
Alhaji Muntaka insisted, therefore, that the Minority Leader should face the consequences of his action in order to serve as a deterrent to others in future.