A chaotic scene unfolded in Ghana’s parliament on Thursday night when a dispute over the vetting of the country’s new ministerial appointees escalated into physical clashes among lawmakers. The disruption, which saw MPs destroying furniture and pushing and shoving each other, forced police to intervene and resulted in a significant disturbance in the parliamentary proceedings.
The controversy began as the vetting committee met to assess three nominees from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for ministerial positions. These appointees were part of the government’s reshuffle following the NDC’s victory over the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December elections. However, tensions soared when opposition NPP members, led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, reportedly spent an excessive amount of time questioning Samuel Nartey George, the communications minister designate, in what NDC MPs perceived as an attempt to settle political scores.
The committee, which is tasked with scrutinizing presidential appointees, had already been working late into the night. The prolonged questioning of George, which lasted over five hours, sparked anger among NDC MPs. Many believed the lengthy interrogations were politically motivated, particularly as George had been vocal in his criticism of the NPP’s leadership, including former president Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia. According to some NDC lawmakers, this vendetta prompted opposition MPs to deliberately delay the process.
As tensions mounted, the situation quickly spiraled out of control. Lawmakers were seen shouting, pushing, and even overturning tables and damaging microphones. The disruption brought the vetting session to an abrupt halt, with the committee’s chairman issuing a public apology the following morning, acknowledging the incident as “totally unacceptable.”
In defense of the NPP’s conduct, Afenyo-Markin argued that parliamentary rules permitted committee members to ask unlimited questions during the vetting process, emphasizing that there was no intention to frustrate the proceedings. He stated that the opposition’s actions were an effort to obstruct the normal course of parliamentary business.
The chaos forced the adjournment of the vetting session, which was rescheduled for Friday. The incident has raised concerns about the state of political discourse in Ghana, highlighting the tensions between the ruling and opposition parties and the challenges facing the country’s legislative process.
