Majority Leader accuses Minority of sabotaging public servant salaries amid Parliamentary deadlock

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has sharply criticized the Minority caucus, accusing them of trying to obstruct public servants’ salary payments amid the current parliamentary deadlock.

His remarks followed Speaker Alban Bagbin’s indefinite adjournment of Parliament on Thursday, November 7, citing a lack of business due to the Business Committee’s failure to meet and set the agenda. The recall session, requested by the Majority caucus, was intended to address urgent matters. However, the absence of Majority MPs led to a halt in proceedings, with Speaker Bagbin expressing frustration over the stalled agenda.

During the session, Minority MPs occupied the Majority side, leaving the Majority caucus outside the chamber. Speaker Bagbin stated that without an agenda from the Business Committee, the session could not proceed.

Speaking to journalists after the adjournment, Afenyo-Markin accused the Minority of deliberately stalling government operations. He warned that without resolution, public servants’ salaries might be delayed. He further alleged that the Minority, in coordination with the Speaker, was blocking essential legislation, including the Free Senior High School (SHS) bill.

Afenyo-Markin raised concerns that critical government programs, such as Free SHS and salary payments, could face delays if the budget is not approved in the next session. He accused the Minority of using this opportunity to prevent the Free SHS bill from advancing, urging Ghanaians not to be misled by what he described as lies and propaganda.

He added that efforts would be made to engage with the Speaker in the coming days.

This indefinite adjournment reflects ongoing disputes over parliamentary majority control, which has affected legislative work in recent weeks. With Parliament now adjourned, it is uncertain when lawmakers will reconvene to address the unresolved issues, leaving the legislative agenda in limbo.

On October 17, this year, the Speaker of Parliament declared the four seats vacant following a petition from the Minority in Parliament, which effectively ended the tenure of the four MPs

Ms Morrison, Messrs Asante and Kwakye-Ackah have all filed as independent candidates for the December 7 elections, while Mr Asiamah Amoako, who was the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament until Mr Bagbin’s ruling, filed to contest the Fomena seat on the ticket of the governing NPP.

The issue had been triggered by the Minority Leader and MP for Ejumako, Enyan Essien, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who drew the Speaker’s attention to the development on the floor of the House and asked him to rule on the issue.

The Minority had tabled their request on the strength of portions of Article 97 of the Constitution, arguing that those provisions of the Constitution abhorred the switch in allegiance midway through a parliamentarian’s tenure.

Article 97(g) states that a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament “if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member”, while Article 97(h) states that the member would forfeit his seat “if he was elected a Member of Parliament as an independent candidate and joins a political party”.

The Speaker agreed, stating in his ruling that the relevant MPs had, by their actions, vacated their seats in Parliament.

However, on October 18, the day after the ruling, Mr Afenyo-Markin, who had earlier filed a suit at the Supreme Court on October 15, seeking an interpretation of Article 97 (1) (g) and (h), filed an ex parte application for the court to put on hold the ruling by the Speaker.

The apex court granted the application, which led the Speaker to file the current application which the court dismissed last month.