A tense exchange erupted in Parliament on Monday between the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, over the scheduling of motions raised by the Minority.
The disagreement centred on delays in debating motions concerning unemployment and alleged dismissals of Ghanaians from state institutions.
Addressing the House, Afenyo-Markin expressed frustration over what he described as repeated postponements of motions filed by the Minority, insisting that Parliament must create space to deliberate on important issues affecting the public.
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“This side of the House has a major concern. Mr Speaker, we in this House deal with public business… There are also initiatives of Members of Parliament, not limited to statements and questions, but also motions,” Afenyo-Markin said.
He stressed that the Minority had filed several motions, but they had not been allowed to proceed to full debate.
“Mr Speaker, the Minority has had plenty of motions in this House. For nine months, anytime the motion has been scheduled to be taken, we are told that it will be shifted for another time,” he added.
Afenyo-Markin stressed one particular motion dealing with unemployment and the dismissal of workers from state institutions, describing it as an urgent national matter.
The motion, he said, is of such importance that Parliament cannot continue to let it hang. “It’s about the unemployment situation. It’s about the dismissal of Ghanaians who otherwise were in the employ of state institutions,” he stated.
He said the motion had already been moved and seconded, with a Majority member making the first contribution before debate was halted.
“The youth out there who have been sitting home for over a year are looking up to this House for a voice,” he added.
The Minority Leader also raised concerns about a separate motion relating to the Bank of Ghana, which he said had been admitted and advertised but had still not been taken.
Afenyo-Markin insisted the Minority had consistently raised the matter and did not want to be accused of failing to pursue it.
Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, however, maintained that the House had agreed that Monday’s sitting was specifically meant to deal with questions and statements.
He argued that introducing motions during the sitting would contradict the earlier agreement among members.
“We have not agreed to sit on Monday to take motions or do any other business,” he added.