The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has strongly denounced the Minority caucus in Parliament, accusing them of purposely impeding the payment of public sector salaries amidst the House’s prolonged gridlock.
Afenyo-Markin’s comments came after Speaker Alban Bagbin declared an indefinite postponement of Parliament on Thursday, November 7th, citing a lack of legislative business for legislators to consider.
The adjournment occurred due to the Business Committee’s failure to convene and draft the required agenda. Despite the Majority’s call for a recall session to address pressing issues, the majority of MPs were noticeably absent from the Chamber.
Speaker Bagbin expressed his dissatisfaction, claiming that the absence of the Majority MPs had brought parliamentary operations to a halt. To make matters worse, when Minority MPs finally entered the chamber, they took over the Majority’s side, forcing the Majority MPs to remain outside in the corridor.
Speaker Bagbin emphasized in his remarks that the session could not proceed as planned without the Business Committee’s input and a fixed agenda.
Following the adjournment, Afenyo-Markin spoke with the press in Accra, accusing the Minority of purposely delaying government work.
Afenyo-Markin also offered a clear warning: if the impasse is not addressed quickly, public employees may face delays in collecting their paychecks.
Public servants’ salaries at risk due to minority’s actions—Afenyo-Markin alerts
Afenyo-Markin further accused the Minority of working with Speaker Bagbin to prevent the passage of critical legislation, such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) bill.
Afenyo-Markin warned that if the budget is not passed by the next legislative session, the government’s core programs, such as the Free SHS program and prompt payment of public officials, may face significant delays.
“Their major goal is the Free SHS bill and the pre-announcement of its introduction in Parliament. You recall how they struggled against it. It’s an opportunity for them to, in a sense, prevent the Free SHS bill from passing.
“Do not be fooled by their lies or propaganda. They want to halt the chaos that they started. We will not tolerate it. Right now, the NDC [Minority] has basically done one thing: they do not want Ghanaians to collect their salaries as public officials because they know there will be no budget after the elections.
“To pay personnel, the budget must be approved in the first quarter of next year [2025]. It is a constitutional duty, and they intend to trample it.”
Afenyo-Markin also said they hope to engage with the Speaker in the coming hours or days to overcome the deadlock.
Alexander Afenyo Markin
Alexander Afenyo Markin
This adjournment adds to the mounting tensions between the Majority and Minority caucuses, with both sides arguing over who holds the majority in the House, further impeding parliamentary procedures in recent weeks.
With no clear date for reconvening, the indefinite postponement puts Parliament’s legislative agenda in jeopardy, causing uncertainty about when crucial concerns will be addressed.
