There was complete chaos in the Chamber of Parliament on Monday afternoon forcing the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah to suspend sitting for about an hour in order to arrest a looming danger caused by a “trashy comment” made by Majority leader and MP for Efutu – Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Minority side of the House heckled the Majority Leader Afenyo-Markin who was then on his feet, to withdraw a derogatory comment he made against the running mate of John Mahama in the impending 2024 presidential election – Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.
While wrapping up the debate on the state of the nation address as presented to Parliament by President Nana Akufo-Addo a few days ago, Afenyo-Markin said, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is too old to take over the presidency if John Dramani Mahama finishes his final term as the next president of Ghana.
His comments got the entire Minority side on their feet, complaining to the presiding Speaker to call the Leader to order. They asked that he withdraws and apologizes to the running mate because they see the comment as a direspect to Prof Opoku-Agyemang and and insult to the aged and womanhood.
However, all attempts to get Afenyo-Markin to withdraw his unfortunate comments fell on deaf ears, forcing the Minority side to interrupt Afenyo-Markin by shouting on top of their voices while hitting their desks loudly. This caused the Speaker to suspend Sittings to avoid chaos.
Addressing the media on the matter during the suspension, MP for the Ketu South constituency, Dzifa Abla Gomashie, on behalf of the Minority Women caucus relied on Order 123 (2) and (6) of the new Standing Orders of Parliament to justify the need for the apology from Afenyo-Markin as well as a total withdrawal of the statement. She said the words used by the leader were offensive, abusive and an insult to Ghanaian women in general and the aged community in Ghana.
She said, the comments by the leader contradict Order 123 (6), which talks about the fact that “the speech of a member shall be relevant to the subject-matter under discussion”.
“What has Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang’s name got to do with his debate on SONA”? She querried.
In a rebuttal, the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament, Frank Annoh Dompreh, said, the Minority has got it all wrong and that the Leader in his comments was only comparing records of former state personalities who are seeking to lead this country.
He said his boss, Afenyo-Markin has no issue with Prof Opoku-Agyemang and that he never said anything bad about the woman who also hails from the Central Region, just like Afenyo-Markin.
Dompreh called on his colleagues to exercise tolerance when debating on the floor of the House because, “my colleagues including their Leader throughout these debates have consistently and persistently attacked Dr. Bawumia”.
When the House resumed Sitting after an hour break, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin rendered an apology to the running make of the NDC.