Hon Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin
Effutu
Mr Speaker, thank you for this treasured space to make this Statement before you and my Colleagues. Mr Speaker, as captured in the Votes and Proceedings of Friday, the 31st of January, 2025, paragraph 5 and page 7, you had cause to deliver a Formal Communication in which you outlined your displeasure on matters at the Appointments Committee on the evening of Thursday, the 30th of January, 2025, and the morning of Friday, the 31st of January, 2025.
Mr Speaker, indeed, your response to the event as a Leader and the head of this Assembly was timely, to assure the public that indeed, this House is ready to uphold democracy and to do what is right in the eyes of the public.
Mr Speaker, that notwithstanding, I had ferried to your Office, a Memo, dated the 3rd of February, 2025, where I raised some procedural concerns regarding the outcome of your Communication.
Mr Speaker, to couch the matters that arose in proper perspective on the said day, Thursday, the 30th of January, 2025, as per the practice, we had agreed to proceed to vet some four nominees; originally, we were supposed to do three. This four later changed to five. Around 10.00 p.m. of that evening, we had indications from our Colleagues in the Majority that they intend to continue the vetting for more nominees rather than what was agreed.
Mr Speaker, on the corridors of the vetting room were many people including nominees. Our understanding was that they had all been invited. Mr Speaker, there was no room for us to discuss the way forward which resulted in our decision as the Minority to protest. Our intention was to have a peaceful protest to express our displeasure at the excesses of our Colleagues in the Majority. We acknowledged that in the process, the situation got out of hand, resulting in the outcome you commented upon. We hereby assure you that we shall, as the Minority, cooperate with you in upholding the integrity and the dignity of this House.
Mr Speaker, we also want to assure you that we will undertake a deeper consultation and commit to this with our Colleagues. Suffice to state that from day one that Mr President started ferrying his nominees to this House, we have given this Government our uttermost cooperation.
Mr Speaker, records would have it that this is the first time in the history of our democracy that the Minority has given the Government such a cooperation, to the extent that nominees are getting their confirmation in record time.
Mr Speaker, indeed, I am on record to have made an application to this House under Order 3. This has never happened by any Minority Leader in the history of our democracy. We believe in constructive criticism; we are not in any way, in, to disrupt Government Business; frustrate them or undermine them. Both parties have been in Government before and have been in opposition before. We know that it is not through disruption that we would win power come 2028. It is through active and constructive politicking.
Mr Speaker, we have become aware of the consequences of orders you have issued as a result of the Formal Communication you have given. But this is what we have to say, and I quote from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.
Mr Speaker, you remember the story of Shylock when he demanded his pound of flesh. A plea came from Portia who was the supposed Counsel for the debtor. Mr Speaker, this is what he had to say and I rely on it to mount the next line of my submission that: The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes’’.
Mr Speaker, we cannot take your power to discipline from you, but we believe that when this is tempered, with the assurance that the way forward would be better, you would be able to reinstate our Colleagues who temporarily have been denied access to this Chamber and the precinct of Parliament. Ours is not to undermine your authority; after all, it is the confidence we had in you that made us, by consensus, vote you into office, and we accept your authority.
Mr Speaker, we do not think that we should litigate this matter even on procedure. We are more interested in the outcome which was not a desired outcome. Today, I, on behalf of my Caucus, would want to assure the public that such an action will not be seen in the public space again.
Mr Speaker, I take full responsibility as the Leader on my Side for all actions that took place. I would, therefore, conclude by inviting you, Mr Speaker, in the circumstances and with the assurances given, to consider a rescission of the decision you communicated to the House, as well as all consequential matters thereto.
Mr Speaker, without more, I shall thank you for hearing me and resume my seat. Thank you very much.
Hon Ayariga Mahama
Bawku Central
Mr Speaker, the popular saying is that to err is human, to forgive is “speakerly”Mr Speaker, as you can see, I have replaced “divine” with “speaker”, and that elevates you to an almost godly stature.
Mr Speaker, my Colleague, the Minority Leader, has spoken; he has recounted the happenings of Thursday and Friday. It is a fact that the first time H. E. John Dramani Mahama nominated. The first time the first set of ministerial nominees were announced was on 9th January, 2025; today is 4th February, 2025, and we are not yet even one month into the Administration of H. E. John Dramani Mahama, but we have vetted and approved a number of ministers. Overall, we have vetted and by the close of today, we would have approved 42 ministerial nominees out of 60. The reason we are even at 42 is because since Friday, we have not yet received any additional nominations. In effect, we have finished vetting and hope to conclude the approval of 42 nominees to ministerial appointments.
Mr Speaker, as a matter of fact, all those who have been nominated to serve as the Cabinet of the Government have actually been vetted, and some approved by this House. This is a record performance that this House should be proud of And we have done so with the cooperation and support of our Colleagues on the Minority Side, in spite of the theatrics and drama. If, in the process, there have been some incidents, they are regrettable.
Mr Speaker, I would support the appeal of my Colleague, the Minority Leader, that you temper justice with mercy. I agree that your decision to suspend some Colleagues was timely, and I believe that it has been understood by the generality of Ghanaians as a step that restored the image of this Parliament. So, I believe that your action has achieved its objectives; but as you can see, our Colleagues are remorseful and accept your decision in good faith. They are appealing to you to review and reconsider your decision on the suspension.
Hon Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin
Effutu
Mr Speaker, I convey the gratitude of the Minority Caucus on your final decision in these matters. We reiterate our continuous cooperation and believe that the gesture thus far shown by you and that of my respected senior Colleague and senior at the Bar who leads the House—We would make things better and that we would have a big stomach to accommodate one another, especially we sitting to your left, the Minority.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
am taking lessons in humility. My Brother and Colleague, the Minority Leader is teaching me how to be humble.
Mr Speaker, we thank you very much for your magnanimity and considering our appeals and lifting the suspension on our Hon Colleagues. We want to assure you that we would be of good behaviour going forward, and your Appointments Committee, I believe, will function in a better atmosphere.
Mr Speaker, there are a few other things that I would bring to your attention. In the Minority Leader’s Statement, he drew attention to the organisation of the security around where the Appointments Committee sits. He also drew attention to the corridor; how Members of the Appointments Committee feel uncomfortable about the numbers that show up at the sitting of the Appointments Committee, how sometimes it can get congested, and the pressures exerted by the Hon Nominees. Then also, a part of the challenge was the fact that on the Wednesday when they were supposed to sit, due to a decision to hear some contempt matters before them, they shifted a few more Nominees to the day after. So, there was a lot of pressure on the Thursday. That affected the crowd that showed up and the urge to try to vet as many Nominees as possible.
Mr Speaker, these are all matters that I would take up with my Hon Colleague and the Chairman of the Appointments Committee. However, in the meantime, we thank you for your decision to set aside the suspension of our Hon Colleagues. Thank you very much.
AskParly