The confrontation erupted after Mr. Afenyo-Markin pressed Justice Amaleboba on whether President John Mahama’s financial penalties against ministers who failed to declare their assets encroached on the constitutional mandate of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

The nominee had earlier stated she saw “no usurpation” in the President’s actions, arguing that administrative fines did not conflict with CHRAJ’s role.

Dissatisfied with her response, Afenyo-Markin rephrased his question, demanding clarity on potential constitutional risks.

But Chairman Ahiafor intervened, ruling that the question had already been answered and directed the Minority Leader to move on.

The visibly angered Minority Leader shot back: “Please, Chairman, if you want to find a way to stop this vetting, I will yield to you. Stop what you are doing. The whole country is watching you!”

He accused Ahiafor of strategic interference, warning that the move would “haunt this House” in the future.

“I’ve seen all this drama. But whatever the precedent, if not in four years, in 12 years or 20 years, it will come back and haunt this House. No problem. If you are strategically planning that a Supreme Court nominee should not go through this process, so be it. But this question is not out of order. I am putting a question. Please pay attention to my question… Pay attention to the question I’m asking… I’m not repeating the same thing. For the avoidance of doubt, I repeat my question. What are the constitutional risks…?”

But Mr. Ahiafor would have none of it and stood his ground: “The public is not only watching me, it is watching all of us, and the jury will be out.”

“I’m a man with an indomitable spirit. I still rule that the question has been asked, and the nominee will not answer this question again.”

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Hon. Ahiafor, recounting his immediate response upon hearing of the disaster while abroad, explained that he mobilized 30 bundles of roofing sheets before setting foot back in Ghana. “The moment I landed, I didn’t even go home first. I dropped my bags and came straight to the constituency to assess the damage,” he narrated.

Moved by the widespread destruction, which left many families homeless and several school structures damaged, Mr. Ahiafor contacted partners and philanthropists to amplify the support. His appeals led to the remarkable donation of 1,700 bags of cement through Gacem Cement and an additional 50 bundles of roofing sheets from philanthropist Anthony Eid Saud.

The donations were officially received by the Akatsi South NDC Chairman, Mr. Anthony Owusu, and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Daniel Dagba, on behalf of the victims and affected schools.

“This intervention is timely and a huge relief to our suffering people,” said Mr. Owusu. “We are grateful to the MP, Gacem Cement, and Mr. Eid Saud for responding quickly to our plight.”

Hon. Ahiafor emphasized that the distribution of the relief items would be carried out with strict transparency and fairness, in line with the principles of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He assured the people that every donation received would reach the affected victims directly.

“Our party is built on transparency, probity, and accountability,” he stated. “Each time we get a relief item, we organize and distribute it openly. Today, I’m announcing to the entire nation that the donation we have from Gacem Cement and Mr. Anthony Eid Saud is here, and distribution has started.”

He further disclosed that educational institutions severely affected by the storm were being prioritized to ensure that students could quickly return to safe classrooms. For instance, 200 bags of the donated cement are being directed toward the reconstruction of a school fence wall that collapsed during the storm.

However, despite the significant support, many residents expressed that the damage caused by the storm was extensive and called for more help from organizations, individuals, and philanthropists to complement the efforts initiated by the MP.

“Some families lost entire homes,” lamented one resident. “We are very grateful for this relief, but we still need more assistance to rebuild our lives.”

Mr. Ahiafor called on anyone willing to assist to contact him directly or reach out through Mr. Anthony Owusu or Hon. Daniel Dagba, assuring the public that all donations would be accountably delivered to the victims.

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His remarks follow a walkout by the Minority, who cited concerns over what they described as his unruly behavior.

The unexpected boycott raised questions about the legitimacy of the approval process, particularly regarding constitutional requirements.

Addressing journalists in Parliament, Ahiafor reassured the public that the absence of the Minority members did not affect the committee’s ability to approve the nominees.

He explained that the committee, consisting of 11 members, only needs a simple majority to proceed with approvals.

“With 11 members, 50 percent is 5.5, but since we don’t have half a human being, it rounds up to six. With seven members present, we meet the constitutional requirement under Article 104 to take a decision,” he stated.

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The MPs were suspended on Friday, January 31, following a chaotic incident that led to the destruction of tables and microphones. The Minority had resisted further vetting, but the Majority proceeded after exhausting the initial schedule for the day.

Opinions on the Speaker’s decision have been divided, with some condemning it as unlawful while others praising it as a necessary intervention.

In an interview on Channel One TV, Mr. Ahiafor clarified the Speaker’s authority in such situations, stating, “People are not getting it right. As a private legal practitioner, if I reduce it to a courtroom practice, we have two types of those incidents—the one that happened outside the court when you need evidence to establish, but the one within the court, you need no evidence to take a decision as a judge.

“…In matters of this nature, where you have to take a decision in one way or the other, you are playing the role of a judge.”

Speaker Alban Bagbin, on January 31, 2025, following the violent confrontations during the vetting on Thursday, January 30, also established a seven-member committee. Its mandate is to identify those responsible and recommend appropriate sanctions.

To facilitate public engagement, the committee has created a WhatsApp platform for information submissions.

The committee will conduct public hearings, providing individuals the opportunity to testify openly about the chaotic scenes that disrupted proceedings.

The committee, chaired by Ho West MP Emmanuel Bedzrah, includes members Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, Gizella Akushika Tetteh-Agbotui, Abena Osei Asare, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, and Bede Anwataazuma Ziedeng.

Speaker Bagbin has made it clear that no public funds will be used to repair damages caused by the altercations. Instead, MPs found guilty of misconduct will be surcharged for repair costs.

Meanwhile, four MPs are currently serving a two-week suspension due to their involvement in the chaos. The committee’s findings are expected to help restore decorum and accountability in Parliament.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, February 3, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee dismissed criticisms that his lack of exposure on the committee was the cause of recent controversies surrounding the vetting process.

“Well, in everything that you do, you get more experience along the line. But I will not say that that was the reason,” the First Deputy Speaker stated.

His comments were in response to the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, who suggested that his limited experience on the committee had contributed to the contentious nature of the vetting sessions.

The Adaklu MP insisted that every action and decision he has taken as chairman has been well thought out.

“Sometimes I do things and take decisions from an informed point of view. The general public might not be aware of why certain decisions, certain postures, certain tolerance levels were coming from the chairperson of the appointments committee, but I know exactly what I’m doing at every point in time,” he stressed.

Mr. Ahiafor further revealed that he has deliberately chosen not to be drawn into conflicts despite persistent pressures.

“I have, all alone, resisted many invitations to fight for a stated reason,” he disclosed.

Illustrating his rationale, the lawmaker likened the situation to being asked to fight on his father’s farm.

“Look, I am a member of the NDC. My colleague NDC members have been vetted because NDC is in power. The president is like my father. Therefore, if I am invited by my opponent that we should go and fight on my father’s farm, knowing very well that if I engage the person in fighting, it is the crops on the farm that will be destroyed—if I take a decision not to fight, am I a weak person or a sensible person?” he quizzed.

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Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, February 3, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament dismissed claims that his perceived lack of assertiveness on the committee has led to controversies.

Responding to remarks from the Deputy Minority Leader that he lacks exposure on the committee, he argued that his decisions have been informed and strategic.

“Well, in everything that you do, you get more experience along the line. But I will not say that that was the reason,” Mr Ahiafor said.

Mr Ahiafor’s remarks come amid heightened tensions between the Majority and Minority caucuses in Parliament, particularly regarding the vetting and approval of ministerial nominees.

While some members of the Minority have expressed concerns about his approach, the Adaklu MP remains resolute that his leadership has been essential in maintaining order and facilitating due process.

“Sometimes I do things and take decisions from an informed point of view. The general public might not be aware of why certain decisions, certain postures, certain tolerance levels were coming from the Chairperson of the Appointments Committee, but I know exactly what I’m doing at every point in time.”

He stated that his leadership style has prevented unnecessary conflict and ensured progress in the vetting process.

“I have, all alone, resisted many invitations to fight for a stated reason. Look, I am a member of the NDC. My colleagues, NDC members, have been vetted because NDC is in power. The president is like my father.

“Therefore, if I am invited by my opponent, we should go and fight on my father’s farm, knowing very well that if I engage the person in fighting, it is the crops on the farm that will be destroyed, what do I do?”

Mr Ahiafor posed a rhetorical question to critics of his leadership approach, stating, “If I take a decision not to fight, am I a weak person or a sensible person? Well, you are left with a judgment.”

The First Deputy Speaker noted that despite the heated political environment, he has chosen to prioritise efficiency over combativeness, ensuring that the vetting process remains constructive.

“If I were combative, we wouldn’t have vetted over 40 ministerial nominees,” he stressed.

“The work we do is serious, and it is not about flexing muscles. It’s about making informed decisions that serve the country’s best interest.”

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According to him, the Effutu MP subtly orchestrated actions behind the scenes while avoiding direct involvement in controversial moments.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, February 3, the First Deputy Speaker provided insight into how events unfolded and the role key figures played.

“The Minority Leader played it smart and safe. I have heard him asking them to do some of the things that they did, but when they were about to start, he left the room,” the Adaklu MP recounted.

He described how Afenyo-Markin’s absence at critical moments shielded him from direct association with the tensions that erupted.

“It was later that he came back to the room. So, in the actual scene where they were dragging the table and putting the chairs on the table, he was not in the room at that material moment. When he came, he couldn’t even move to my left side. He was behind me on my right side.”

Mr. Ahiafor further claimed that Jerry Ahmed Shaib, one of the four MPs suspended over the incident, was acting under his leader’s direct instruction.

“I know that Jerry was under his instruction to move and stop Mintah Akandoh from taking the seat to the swamp,” he disclosed.

He also revealed that the Minority Leader had given specific directives to his side during the heated exchanges.

“He asked his side that they should all put on the microphone. I have heard him saying they should call some people to come to the vetting room.”

Commenting on the Speaker’s decision to suspend the four MPs involved in the melee, Mr. Ahiafor acknowledged that the penalty could have been harsher.

“Was the Speaker charitable to the four suspended MPs engaged in the melee? Well, I believe that danger begets man; the crowd distresses someone for relief.”

He suggested that deeper scrutiny of the issue could have led to even sterner consequences.

“As a matter of fact, if we want to go into the nitty-gritty of this particular matter, they may suffer harsher punishment than the suspension.

“I heard people arguing that the suspension should have been eight days instead of two weeks, and it all boils down to the same thing. Because naturally, the sitting days of Parliament, in a week, are formed.”

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Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, February 3, the Akatsi South MP expressed frustration with his Effutu colleague’s approach to committee matters, particularly his tendency to backtrack on agreed decisions.

“I have a very good relationship with him, but sometimes I find it very difficult to take the excess,” the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament admitted.

“I am one particular person who will not agree on one thing with you, and after a few minutes or a few hours, you behave as if that was not what we had agreed upon. It pisses me off.”

He dismissed Mr. Afenyo-Markin’s claims that the Clerk of the Appointments Committee had been partisan or had withheld reports from him, emphasizing that all committee members, including the Minority Leader, receive the necessary documents.

“There is nothing that the clerk of the committee has put out there that we have not agreed upon. There is no occasion where the clerk will not give me and give the Minority Leader a draft report.

“Even if you go back to recap, there are instances where the two of us will be sitting down, and the clerk will hold two reports, give me one, and give him one—in the full glare of the camera,” Ahiafor explained.

He suggested that Mr. Afenyo-Markin’s background as a former Majority Leader may be influencing his expectations and approach to leadership in his current role as Minority Leader.

“It’s about time for him to realize that he is no longer the Majority Leader, but he’s a Minority Leader. He can use any adjectives to describe himself—mighty, happy, whatever—but for me, he is in the minority,” Mr. Ahiafor stated.

“It doesn’t look like he understands that, and sometimes I believe he forgets himself.”

Bernard Ahiafor also clarified that, by parliamentary practice, committee clerks do not take directives from the Ranking Member but from the Chairman of the Committee.

“By our practice, clerks of the committee don’t take decisions from the Ranking Member. They take decisions from the Chairman of the Committee. That is why their letters mostly read, ‘I have been directed by the Chairman of the Committee,’ not the Ranking Member.

“But because he is coming from the Majority point of view, I think he sometimes forgets himself and fails to realize that he is now in the Minority,” he emphasized.

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Speaking on PM Express on Monday, February 3, Ahiafor acknowledged having a good working relationship with Afenyo-Markin but admitted that his behavior sometimes makes collaboration difficult.

“I have a very good relationship with him, but sometimes I find it very difficult to tolerate the excesses,” the Adaklu MP stated.

“I am one particular person who will not agree on something with you, only for you to turn around and act as if we never had that agreement. It pisses me off,” he added.

Ahiafor’s comments come amid rising tensions between the Minority and the Clerk of the Appointments Committee, Gifty Jiagge-Gobah. Afenyo-Markin and his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have accused the Clerk of bias, a claim Ahiafor dismissed.

He insisted that all committee reports are shared transparently with both the Chairman and the Ranking Member, rejecting claims that information was being withheld.

“There is nothing that the Clerk of the Committee has put out that we have not agreed upon,” Ahiafor stated.

“There has never been an occasion where the Clerk has failed to provide both of us with draft reports. Even in past sittings, we have received copies in full view of the cameras. So I don’t understand why he is alleging that reports are being kept from him.”

Ahiafor suggested that Afenyo-Markin’s struggles stem from his previous role as Majority Leader, making it difficult for him to adapt to the realities of opposition.

“It’s about time he realizes that he is no longer the Majority Leader but the Minority Leader. He can use any adjectives to describe himself—mighty or happy Minority—but at the end of the day, he is a Minority Leader,” Ahiafor argued.

He further explained that in parliamentary practice, Clerks take directives from the Chairman of the Committee, not the Ranking Member—a reality Afenyo-Markin has seemingly struggled to accept.

“Majority Leaders and Committee Chairmen direct the Clerk, but Clerks do not take instructions from the Ranking Member. That is why their letters often read, ‘I have been directed by the Chairman of the Committee,’ not the Ranking Member,” he clarified.

Ahiafor maintained that Afenyo-Markin’s perspective is still shaped by his time in the Majority and urged him to adjust to his new role.

“Because he is coming from the Majority side, I sometimes believe he forgets himself and does not realize that he is now operating as a Minority Leader,” he noted.

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The Akatsi South MP stated that he did not, in any way, gag the caucus during the first phase of the vetting.

At a press conference on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the Minority accused Mr. Ahiafor of displaying bias and partisanship, hindering a thorough vetting process.

Tano North MP, Dr. Gideon Boako, cited incidents from the January 13, 2025, vetting, claiming that the Chairman shouted at Minority members, including Atiwa East MP, Abena Osei-Asare, in an attempt to shield the nominees from scrutiny.

However, the First Deputy Speaker disagreed with the Minority’s claims.

According to him, he had actually overly indulged the Minority, stating that the clear guidelines were agreed upon during a meeting. Yet, he [Ahiafor] even bent some rules.

He emphasized that he takes exception to the Minority’s claims.

“I take a very great exception to that because I have accommodated them and I have overindulged them. Going forward, I do not know how they are going to describe me; I never gagged them.

“I went to the extent of bending the ground rules that we had agreed upon to even accommodate certain things that I ought not to have accommodated, yet they describe me as being unfair to them. Well, posterity will be the judge,” he stated in an interview on Accra-based TV3.

Detailing some of the rules that were bent, he added, “There should be some limit on the number of questions or the time frame within which the Majority Leader is supposed to ask questions.”

“It looks like the very first experience he had an unlimited period, and for me, it was excessive.”

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The first sitting of the Appointment Committee of Parliament took a dramatic turn when it was marred by interjections.

The Minority Leader, who also serves as the Ranking Member, criticized President John Mahama over the procedure used to inform the House about the nomination of his appointees during his opening remarks.

Among other things, he took issue with President Mahama for allowing his Executive Secretary, Dr. Callistus Mahama, to author a letter that should have been written by the President himself, describing it as a breach of the rules of the House.

In what was seen as a diversion from the agenda, Bawku Central MP and Committee member, Mahama Ayariga, objected to Afenyo-Markin’s criticisms, asserting that the Minority Leader could have organized a press conference to air his grievances instead of derailing the vetting process.

To avoid further escalation, the Chairman asked Mr. Afenyo-Markin to wrap up his opening remarks.

However, his comment was not well received by the Minority Leader, who pointed out that there had been precedents where Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, as Ranking Members, had given lengthy opening remarks.

“I have been on this Appointment Committee when the then Minority Leader spent 20 minutes presenting his opening remarks. If you don’t want me to speak, let me know. Don’t start using words like ‘you may conclude.’ With the greatest respect, these interjections must stop,” he said.

Mr. Ahiafor, who did not appreciate the tone of the Minority Leader, responded, “Honourable Minority Leader, you know the chairman is a man with an indomitable spirit. I would not be threatened.”

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He will work closely with Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who serves as the Vice Chairperson. Other key members include Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader, as Ranking Member, and Patricia Appiagyei, who takes on the role of Deputy Ranking Member.

The Appointments Committee’s primary responsibility is to scrutinize individuals nominated by the President for crucial positions, including Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers, and other roles outlined in the Constitution or relevant legislation.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, Majority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson highlighted the importance of the newly approved composition.

“The committee respectfully recommends to the House to adopt this report and approve the membership of the Appointments and Business Committees as composed, reflecting the parliamentary ratio of 183 to 88,” he said.

Ahiafor’s leadership is expected to ensure that the vetting process remains thorough, fair, and in line with constitutional provisions.

His role as Chairperson underscores Parliament’s commitment to transparency and accountability in assessing nominees critical to national governance.

This new composition sets the stage for a robust vetting process that will shape the leadership team responsible for implementing the President’s policies during his term.

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Mr Ahiafor’s comment comes on the heels of the murder of a pastor and his wife at Ayitikope in the Akatsi South District a few days ago. 

He noted that there have been several crimes and incidents in the district which are worrying to him and the residents, hence the need for the petition.

“We have in recent times experienced serious happenings in my constituency and everyone is worried, “he said. 

He lamented over the robbery of a private lotto operator of his millions of Ghana cedis.

He also mentioned shops that were ransacked with security guards killed and many other crimes committed in the district.

“It is very sad that these criminals had to attack and kill a man of God and his wife in cold blood,“ he lamented 

Mr Ahiafor, who visited the crime scene, noted the urgent need for the Police to take a serious look at the crimes being committed in the district and bring the criminals to book. 

Mr Ahiafor, however, urged residents to help the Police with useful information that would lead to the arrest of the alleged criminals. 

The Ghana Police Service at Akatsi with help from the regional office has, meanwhile, commenced investigations into the case.