By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Chairman of the Committee investigating the violent clash that erupted at Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, January 30, and Friday, January 31, 2025, Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, says the Speaker of Parliament. Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has instructed them to resume their work on the public hearing.
According to him, Speaker Bagbin’s directive came after an initial suspension of proceedings. Saying the directive for the suspension which was earlier reported to have come from the Speaker—later revealed to be a manoeuvre by the Minority.
Speaking on an Accra-based Joy FM on Thursday, February 6, 2025, the Chairman of the Committee investigating the violent clash clarified that Rt. Hon. Bagbin had explicitly approved the Committee to proceed with its investigations.
“I asked both of them (minority and majority leaders), and the Majority leader, Mr. Mahama Ayariga said he did not hear the Speaker stating that we should suspend the sitting.
“He was emphatic that his mind was not there. But he remembered that when they were with the Speaker, to plead with him, the Minority leader Mr. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin raised a concern but by then he had walked out so he wasn’t aware of the conclusion between him and the Speaker.
So, we were saying that since he was not sure of what transpired between the minority leader and the speaker, we should wait for the speaker to return tomorrow. And I said if that is the case, we will all wait for the speaker to return and give a directive. But in the night, the speaker called and said, ‘No, we cannot stop this work, we should continue, and he has given direct instruction to the clerk that we should continue,” he stated.
Mr. Bedzrah announced that the Committee will resume its public hearing on Friday, February 7, 2025.
READ ALSO: Minority, not Speaker halted vetting chaos probe- Bedzrah clarifies
