News:
Sen. Edwin M. Snowe Jr.
October 1, 2025
Leader of the Liberian delegation to the Community Parliament and Chairman of the Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe Jr. mediated to ensure the four out of the five new lawmakers from Ghana’s delegation were sworn in at the Second Extraordinary Season held in River State, Port Harcourt – Federal Republic of Nigeria.
On Thursday, September 25, 2025, two new members of the Togolese delegation were sworn-in including Alipui Senanu and Kagbara Uleja Y. M. Innocent.
However, the Rt. Hon Speaker Ibrahima Memuntou never mentioned the swearing-in of the four new members of Ghana’s delegation forcing a continuing member of the delegation, Laadi Ayii Ayamba to inquire from the Speaker the status of Ghana’s new delegation.
In response, the Rt. Hon Ibrahima pointed out that the recomposed list was not conclusive yet, with the exclusion of the name of the third deputy speaker Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, as the Community Parliament had not invited Ghana’s new delegation with the unresolved issue, hence, they were in River State Port Harcourt on their own. She added that despite the delegation coming to the Extraordinary Session on their own, they would be sworn-in if changes were made to the recomposed list to include the third deputy speaker, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin.
And with the Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget having their meeting on Friday, September 26, 2025, thus there was no plenary activity, the understanding therefore was that plenary activity the next day, Saturday, September 27, 2025 would commence at 10:00am.
Then came the announcement for all heads of delegations of member states to have a meeting which lasted for more than two hours.
The meeting thus paved the way for the swearing in of the new members of the Ghanaian delegation – George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, Dominic Napare, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi and Eric Afful.
The third deputy speaker of the Community Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin disclosed after the swearing-in that Senator Snowe Jr. has been instrumental working through the Majority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament, Mahama Ayariga – a former first Rapporteur of Political Affairs in the 5th Legislature, as well as members of the Bureau to resolve the matter.
“I am happy to say that conclusion has to be brought to this matter, by bringing a resolution to this matter especially; so our four colleagues have made it to Port Harcourt, there was a final communication which the Speaker referred to from the Clerk of Ghana’s Parliament”.
He further told the plenary, the understanding reached and hope Senator Snowe Jr. speaks to that, as there are existing three Ghanaian members of the Community Parliament who have already taken their oath. They are Emmanuel Bedzrah, Laadi Ayamba and himself (Alexander Afenyo-Markin).
“We would remain in the parliament on our oath till 2028, when the lifespan of this parliament terminates. Therefore, when the Parliament resumes in October 2025, that is the Ghanaian Parliament would do the needful to bring a final clarity so that his colleagues who are already in Port Harcourt can be sworn-in and not return to Ghana not being sworn in”.
He affirmed that this is not the first time that his good self has to intervene for the good of his Country, “this is not a victor’s justice, but justice for democracy”. And recalled that in 2017 a similar matter occurred between himself and a former colleague Fredrick Opare Ansah where Opare Ansah had already been sworn-in in the 4th Legislature, but a new parliament in Ghana reconstuted the list and took away Opare Ansah which generated some controversy at the time.
As a result of a similar contest, he graciously stood down and resigned his seat at the time for Ghana’s delegation to be sworn-in and he went back to Ghana. But as faith has it, he came back and today he is here (in Port Harcourt).
“ This is a matter for institutional principle not an individual interest, its that reason why since the chairman of Political Affairs is the one who mediated, I would want him to speak for the records. We have been able to resolve this matter to enable our colleagues to take the oath which means that we are seven and left with one more to come and a proper resolution to be procured from Ghana’s Parliament to the ECOWAS parliament, and I have no objection to this”, he emphasized.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com