Lawmakers Clash Over Ministerial Vetting Process, Damage Furniture, Microphones, Other Properties
Ghana’s parliament descended into chaos late Thursday night as lawmakers clashed during the vetting of new ministerial appointees.
The heated session saw MPs pushing and shoving each other, damaging furniture, tables, and microphones, forcing police intervention, BBC reports.
The disagreement arose as members of the vetting committee accused opposition MPs of prolonging the process for political reasons.
On Friday morning, the committee’s chairman apologised to Ghanaians, describing the incident as “totally unacceptable.”
The cross-party committee was set to vet three lawmakers from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), who were nominated for ministerial positions after the NDC defeated the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in December’s elections.
However, tensions flared when NDC MPs accused NPP parliamentary leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin of unnecessarily prolonging the questioning of nominees.
More than five hours were spent on just one nominee—communications minister designate Samuel Nartey George.
Many NDC members believed this was retaliation, as opposition MPs wanted George to retract criticisms of former president Nana Akufo-Addo and his Vice-President Mahamadu Bawumia.
The situation escalated into shouting, pushing, and furniture being overturned.
On Friday, Afenyo-Markin defended the NPP’s actions, stating that parliamentary customs allow members to “enquire deeply into every nominee of the president, without limit to questions.”
He accused the NDC of attempting to “frustrate” the vetting process.
