Parliament’s Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has launched a scathing attack on the NDC caucus, accusing them of intimidation tactics and questioning the neutrality of the Clerk of the Appointments Committee, Gifty Jiagge-Gobah.
During a heated press conference this morning, Afenyo-Markin did not hold back, stating that the NDC has been using its foot soldiers to bully members of the Minority caucus.
“We won’t allow them to bully us,” he declared.
His comments come in response to Speaker Alban Bagbin’s sanctions against four MPs following the chaotic vetting session on January 30, 2025.
Afenyo-Markin also demanded that the Clerk to the Appointment Committee step aside, questioning her neutrality in handling committee affairs.
“For now, we don’t want the Clerk in the Appointment Committee again—unless she turns on leave,” he insisted.
He accused the Clerk of frustrating the Majority caucus, stating that her actions have not been neutral, forcing him to repeatedly “manage the frustration of my members.”
“A Clerk to a Committee must be neutral,” Afenyo-Markin asserted.
The Minority Leader also took a direct swipe at Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, questioning how he has been able to pay a $15,000 monthly rent at Airport Hills for the past eight years.
“How is Ablakwa able to afford his $15,000 rent for the past eight years when MPs earn GHS 15,000 per month?” Afenyo-Markin asked.
His comments follow claims by Hon. Kwame Governs Agbodza that MPs receive a monthly salary of GHS 15,000, fueling speculation over how Ablakwa has been financing his high-end residence.
The fallout from the vetting session continues to deepen the divide in Parliament, with both sides trading accusations. While Afenyo-Markin insists that the Majority had no intention to destroy public property, tensions between the two sides remain at an all-time high.