Parliament on Tuesday, July 22 witnessed rare public drama over Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, as internal procedures typically handled discreetly were openly contested on the floor.
The controversy centered on Majority Leader-turned-Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, who previously led Ghana’s ECOWAS delegation in the 8th Parliament.
Despite his new leadership role on the Minority side, Afenyo-Markin insisted on retaining his seat on the delegation; a position traditionally not held by caucus leaders.
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Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga moved a motion to amend the composition of the delegation, proposing the replacement of Afenyo-Markin with his deputy, Patricia Appiagyei.
He justified the move by citing the 30% gender quota required for ECOWAS delegations and long-standing parliamentary convention that mandates frontbench leaders stay available in the House.
Former Defence Minister and MP for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, intervened, appealing to the Speaker to resolve the issue behind closed doors due to its potential implications on parliamentary cohesion.
Interior Minister and MP for Asawase, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak; himself a long-serving member of the Pan-African Parliament; questioned why the Minority Leader would insist on retaining the ECOWAS post, especially when the privileges and responsibilities of his new leadership role were sufficient.
After hearing the submissions, Speaker Alban Bagbin ruled for the House to vote on the amendment.
The motion was subsequently passed, officially removing Afenyo-Markin and installing Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei in his place.
The floor proceedings exposed underlying tensions over leadership roles and representation in international assignments, issues typically resolved off-camera.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
