Afenyo-Markin Clashes With Ahiafor During Vetting After Request For Srem-Sai To Dance

• The vetting of Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai was marred by a heated exchange between the leadership of the committee
• The clash was between the Chairman of the Appointments Committee Benard Ahiafor and the ranking member of the committee, Alex Afenyo-Markin
• The clash was sparked by a request for Deputy Attorney General-designate, Justice Srem-Sai, to demonstrate a traditional dance

Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament Benard Ahiafor pulled rank on the ranking member of the committee, Alex Afenyo-Markin, during a clash at the committee sitting.

During the vetting of Deputy Attorney General-designate, Justice Srem-Sai, Afenyo-Markin had asked him to demonstrate a traditional dance to the committee.

He was however overruled by Ahiafor. This prompted Afenyo-Markin to describe the chairman as whimsical and capricious.

When asked to withdraw those words, Afenyo-Amakring refused. This led to Ahiafor shutting down the minority leader for the rest of the session.

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“To demonstrate to you that I am the chairman of this particular vetting committee, that may be your last question.”

The dispute led to an abrupt end of the vetting session.

In response to the chairman's decision to terminate the vetting of the nominee, the minority leader announced a rejection of the Srem-Sai's nomination.

The Minority is also boycotting the rest of the February 26's vetting.

Afenyo-Markin gets contempt warning

Ahiafor, also warned Afenyo-Markin that he was lucky he did not cite him for contempt.

“I take great exception to the Minority leader saying I am whimsical, capricious, and that I rudely interrupted. As Chairman of the Committee, I have the right to overrule a question especially when there is an attempt to turn the vetting committee into a dancing floor. The just thing for me to do was to overrule that particular question."

“Even in Parliament, when unparliamentary language is used, members are required to withdraw and sometimes apologise. He is even lucky I have not cited him for contempt."

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Protest from Afenyo-Markin

Afenyo-Markin complained that he had noticed a pattern of unfair treatment throughout the proceedings.

According to him, earlier in the day, the Weija-Gbawe MP, Ahmed Jerry Shaib had also faced an unjust interruption.

He also complained that he was faced with repeated disruptions when trying to ask questions.

"The Attorney General himself interrupted, yet you curiously claimed you never heard him. Then the Majority Chief Whip also disrupted the session, though not into the microphone. This was clearly aimed at obstructing the smooth vetting process. Eventually, you allowed him to ask a so-called follow-up question."

Previous tensions at Appointments Committee

YEN.com.gh reported that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, suspended four MPs for two weeks after the brawl during a vetting session of the Appointments Committee.

Bagbin eventually lifted the suspension before the two weeks were up.

The affected MPs were Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Alhassan Tampuli and Ahmed Shaib.

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The dispute they were involved in centred on whether the vetting of Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa should have gone ahead at around 10 pm on January 30.

This dispute escalated into a brawl which led to tables and microphones being damaged.

Source: YEN.com.gh