Afenyo-Markin Chalks Big Win as Bagbin Reconstitutes Delegation to ECOWAS Parliament
- Ghana's Parliament is set to reconstitute its ECOWAS Parliament delegation, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin returning as a member
- The reconstitution follows Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei's rejection of her nomination to replace Afenyo-Markin, citing lack of consultation and procedural irregularities
- The new nine-member delegation will be led by George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, with Afenyo-Markin serving as a member
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Ghana's Parliament is set to reconstitute its delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, effectively reinstating Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin as a member of the nine-person team after a protracted dispute over his removal.
The reconstitution comes after Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei declined the nomination to replace Afenyo-Markin, citing a lack of consultation and alleged procedural irregularities in the selection process.
The new delegation will be led by George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan as leader.
The remaining members are Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Laadi Ayii Ayamba, Eric Afful, Dominic Napare, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, and Dr Bryan Acheampong, with Millicent Yeboah Amankwah named as observer.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin previously referred Afenyo-Markin to the Privileges Committee following a petition by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who accused him of defying a parliamentary resolution that had removed him from the delegation.
The controversy deepened when the ECOWAS Parliament declined to swear in Ghana's reconstituted delegation after Afenyo-Markin, who serves as Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, appeared at proceedings in Port Harcourt despite having been replaced. The standoff was ultimately resolved after Ghana threatened to withdraw entirely from the regional legislative body.
Appiagyei's refusal to accept the nomination to fill Afenyo-Markin's seat proved to be a critical turning point in the resolution of the matter. Her rejection, grounded in concerns about how the replacement process was handled, effectively stalled the rollout of the reconstituted delegation and opened the door for Afenyo-Markin's return.
The development brings to a close a weeks-long impasse that drew significant attention to procedural questions within Ghana's Parliament regarding how members are selected for international legislative assignments.
Source: YEN.com.gh
