Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) wearing black and red armbands have staged a protest at the entrance to the parliamentary chamber in solidarity with their suspended colleagues.
The protest on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, follows Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s suspension of four Members of Parliament for two weeks, following a chaotic incident that occurred during Thursday’s sitting of the Appointments Committee.
The suspended MPs include the two chief Whips for both the Minority and Majority caucuses, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor and Frank Annoh-Dompreh, as well as Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli and Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
Speaking in an interview with GBC News, MP for Foase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, criticised the Speaker for what he described as an improper suspension of MPs without following parliamentary standing orders.
“We have dressed like this in solidarity with our brothers that Mr. Speaker has purported to suspend without recourse to the standing orders,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah stated.
He stressed that while the Minority understood the Speaker’s anger and had apologised to Ghanaians as a house, they firmly disagreed with the decision to suspend MPs unilaterally.
“The rules do not allow Mr. Speaker, on his own, without recourse to the law, to suspend members. That’s why we are in solidarity with them,” he said.
The Minority MPs called for the chamber doors to be opened, asserting that the house had been adjourned to noon and they expected proceedings to resume.
“We have engaged. We have publicly spoken about the issues. We have made overtures to the office of the Speaker. We have done all that needs to be done,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah added.
He expressed optimism that the Speaker, whom he described as “a very learned person and experienced member of Parliament,” would reconsider his decision.
“We are hopeful that when we draw his attention to the fact that the instructions he gave were in quorum, he will exercise his mind to the appropriate orders and do the right thing.”
For his part, MP for Asante-Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, also voiced his disagreement with the suspension of two chief whips, questioning how Parliament can function effectively under such circumstances.
In an interview, Hon. Anyimadu-Antwi underscored the need for dialogue to resolve the issue.
“We don’t think that is right. Today, we will talk about it. I don’t understand why a parliament can go on when two chief whips are suspended. I don’t agree with that, but we need to dialogue,” he said.
The Minority MPs maintained their stance, stating they do not recognise the suspension and plan to address the matter directly in the chamber.
