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The Minority has expressed worry over state sponsored intimidation, selective justice and political witch hunt of former government officials under former President Nana Akufo-Addo as Tuesday, February 11, 2025, army military officials, police officers and plain clothed security operatives without warrant or justification stormed the private residence of Ken Ofori-Atta former Finance Minister.

Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei at a press conference on Thursday, February 13, 2025, noted that the Government was officially informed of the former Finance Minister seeking medical attention outside the country stating that both the former and current chiefs of staff were notified.

Similarly, the former director of operations at the Jubilee House, Lord Commey’s residence was raided to unlawfully seize vehicles as well as the former Minister of Defense, Dominic Nitiwul’s residence.

She accused the very leaders who cried foul over what they claimed to be military intimidation while in opposition are now wielding state power in an even more reckless tyrannical manner.

Madam Patricia Appiagyie further revealed that Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh was invited by the National Intelligence Bureau for questioning over comments he made concerning the disputed Ablekuma North parliamentary election results as his call for NPP supporters to protect their own was deemed inciteful.

“We will not remain silent while political persecution takes root in Ghana, as Ghana belongs to all of us and no administration has the right to weaponize state institutions against political opponents. And we demand an immediate transparent and independent investigation into these political motivated attacks”.

“No democracy can survive when its institutions become weapons for political vengeance, as if no citizen matter and due process is replaced with brute force”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Ashanti Region Minority caucus in Ghana’s Parliament is demanding the arrest of perpetrators of violence at the just ended council of state election in the region.

Addressing the media in parliament at a press conference chairman of the caucus Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong noted that individuals behind this shameful act, including Zuba, must be arrested immediately and made to face the full rigors of the law, as Ghana is governed by laws, not thuggery and they demand justice, and demand it now.

They further demand a swift resumption of the Electoral Process, stating that the Electoral Commission (EC) must ensure that this election is concluded transparently so that the true choice of the people prevails.
“We will not allow intimidation to dictate election results in the Ashanti Region and call for total rejection of Zuba for Any Appointment in the Ashanti Region.

A man who orchestrates violence and disregards the rule of law has no place in leadership. His appointment to any position in the Ashanti Region would be a grave disservice to the people.”
They urged the President and all responsible authorities to reconsider and reject any attempt to offer Zuba any role in the region. Kumasi and the entire Ashanti Region deserve better.

The Minority also stated that the Ashanti Region has always been the stronghold of democracy and good governance in Ghana. “We will not allow the reckless and lawless behavior of a few individuals to tarnish our democratic credentials”.

They sent a clear and strong message to the Mahama administration saying: Ashanti Region will not bow to intimidation as the people of Ghana will resist any attempt to erode democracy through violent and lawless means.

They further added that at the time of this shocking attack, Nana Nkansah Boadu had secured 49 out of 86 votes, putting him in a commanding lead but realizing that their preferred candidate was losing Mr. Zuba and his thugs violently intervened, halting the democratic process and plunging the election into chaos.

“We will not sit idly, while the will of the people is subverted through violence and intimidation”, they added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The President John Dramani Mahama is expected to give his first Message of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by the end of this month the Rt. Hon Speaker Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin revealed on the floor of the House on Wednesday, 11 February 2025.

This is a constitutional requirement under the 1992 Republican Constitution that the president delivers a message of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in fulfillment of Article 67 of the constitution which states, “the president shall at the beginning of each session of the parliament and before the dissolution of Parliament deliver to Parliament the Message of the State of the Nation Address”.

The Speaker further added that there is the urgent need to put in place the various Committees as the finance Minister Dr. Ato Forson is expected to present the 2025 budget in first week of March 2025.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin has revealed that in the first Parliament of the fourth Republic of Ghana, he proposed that sitting of the House should be in the afternoon to get the public involved but because he was an active practicing lawyer, it was misconstrued as making the proposal to favour him.

The first meeting of the first session of the ninth Parliament has already suffered two early adjournments due to lack of quorum of 91 members to transact business and the Speaker was forced to remind the House of his early proposal at the beginning of the fourth republican parliament.

The meeting of Wednesday,12 February 2025 has to be pushed to the afternoon for the Committee on Selection to meet and compose various Committees, as the Minority Chief Whip Frank Annor-Dompreh has led a crusade demanding its formation for serious business and oversight work of the House to start.

“Members have a lot of things to do more especially when you have a lot of pressure from your constituents. We have to attend to them almost every morning, we have to go round looking for jobs for them, and so the morning is always crowded. The fuel you are giving is not sufficient, you have to do more to buy fuel which is a tall order”.

This would not be the first time since the eighth parliament at a point moved all its proceedings to the afternoon.
According to the Speaker, it would be prudent if the House agrees to sit in the afternoon to allow MPs attend to other things in the morning.

“Why not agree for us to sit in the afternoon and even up to eight pm; we can then get the public participating at the gallery and see senior citizens relaxing and watching you on their TV because we are doing live broadcast, it will assist me to manage you”, the Speaker stated.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Ad-Hoc Committee set up by the Rt. Hon Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin, to investigate what led to the chaos at the vetting of Ministers is set to present its report to the House on Thursday, February 13, 2025.

Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin had written to the Speaker expressing concern over alleged bias by the Chairman of the Committee, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah towards Minority members on the Committee; a development that led to the Minority boycotting the public hearing of the Committee.

Ghanamps.com investigation can attest that that the Committee has asked for two days extension to present its report as the ten days given them was not enough; and they needed the extra days to conclude with putting together their report.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Immediate past Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee, Kennedy Osei-Nyarko has taken a swipe at the Ministry of Roads and Highways for issuing a statement over the weekend suspending an Act of Parliament, the National Roads Authority 2024 Act 1118 that seeks to manage Ghana’s road infrastructure by merging the Ghana Highways Authority, Department of Urban Roads and Feeder Roads.

According to him, he is more shocked and down founded that the sector Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza who took former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government to the cleaners for abolishing road tolls and made a lot of noise today in charge of the Roads sector is doing otherwise.

In an interview, he pointed out that if the Executive arm has an issue, they know the procedure; and what to do is to come to Parliament with an amendment of the portion they feel there is an issue with.

“I have picked information that the National Labour Commission, wrote to the Ministry to suspend the implementation, “Does an independent body have such powers? NLC is a creation by an Act passed by Parliament; if they think some workers are going to be affected they have two avenues to use; is either the affected workers should petition Parliament or they go to court to seek a review”.

He further advised the sector Minister to move cautiously stating that he is starting on a bad note and should withdraw the press release and apologize to Parliament and the people of Ghana for taking a decision he does not have power to take.

Mr Kennedy Osei-Nyarko further explained that the Act was to deal with some mischief, some challenges which have bedeviled the road sector for a very long time. “If you look at the Roads and Highways Ministry, there are about three key agencies – highways authority, urban roads, and feeder roads. They cannot be doing the same work, hence the need to merge them”.

We do not have enough resources to do everything; and because of resources constraints, we want to utilize the little resources we have. When you have a sector that duplicates the role of the other agencies, it delays projects and leads to insufficient maintenance on our road network.

So in the wisdom of the past government, they thought it wise they should come under one Authority which will deal with all these and it’s a very good thing having one Authority to manage all these three agencies, he added.

According to him, the idea behind passing this law was to know work schedules, adding that there was extensive consultation; “we spent a lot of resources, time and everything to pass this Act only for the new government led by its Minister to issue a press statement that it has suspended the implementation of an Act of Parliament.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

A member of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Minority side Kwame Antwi Anyimadu said he overheard the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Bagbin giving directives for the Committee investigating the vetting chaos not to hold public hearing.

According to him he agrees with the directives of the Speaker and what the Committee is doing currently, the Committee is not conducting serious investigations, hence the reason he participated in the workings of the Committee once and later sought guidance from the leadership of the Minority.

At a press conference, he argued that, “if you call ten witnesses; according to the committee, twenty-five members have been identified and were to be invited. If all of them are to seat together and you call them one by one to speak to the hearing of the others, you are not conducting any investigation”.

Mr Anyimadu raised concerns with the manner the investigation is being conducted, stating that “the moment we take this as a public enquiry, any person, if you ask him to leave the committee room and go to the next room, he can go to the next room and watch television and observe whatever we are doing. The process of doing it is not the right thing. I have raised it and some of the members have also raised it”.

“We were not sure especially, when the Majority Leader has to come and testify before the Committee in public, I had to get up to seek clearance from the leadership of our caucus and we have to communicate to you that this is why you are not seeing us at the public hearing after our first appearance”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Majority Chief Whip Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor when he appeared on Monday, February 10, 2025 before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating the chaos that occurred at the Appointment Committee said he is not proud of what occurred at the Appointment Committee sitting and takes full responsibility.

According to him others disagree that if punishment was supposed to be meted out it should not be him, but I agree in principle that you need to punish the leaders, he told the Committee.

He further told the Committee chairman Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah that consensus building failed for that night.

He also affirmed that if his counterpart was minded of his way of doing things that night, they would not have experienced the chaos, and insisted that ones they decided to disrupt and raise chairs, “what can I do, what could I have done?” He queried.

Mr. Dafeamekpor further indicated that there is a lot of learn from the public hearing of the Ad Hoc Committee and going forward Members of Parliament would be guided from whatever recommendations the Committee will give. “A lot of things need to be streamlined from now onwards”, he stated.

When the Chairman further enquire that if giving-in to the demand of the Minority side on the committee could have averted all these problems, he said “there is a reasonableness to everything; we are serving people, we had scheduled nominees for a week, it was no fault of theirs that the Wednesday, January 29, 2025, was truncated”, adding that the Wednesday program should not have affect those who were supposed to appear on Thursday, January 30, 2025. So if the Committee was adding on to their work, those originally slated for Thursday, needed to be attended to. “When you want to vary previous agreement, you do not go physical, rather we should engage” he told the Committee.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minority in parliament has presented a petition to the Rt. Hon Speaker Alban Kingsford Bagbin on concerns over the Chairman of the Ad Hoc committee Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah’s task to investigate the chaos that erupted during the vetting of Ministers designate.

According to the Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, they had earlier written to raise concerns about the Chairman being bias and were waiting the response of the Speaker who is outside the jurisdiction.

“We the Minority caucus consider it prudent to wait the Speaker’s response before taking any further steps in relation to the Committee’s work”.

The Minority has copied the Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga in same letter copied to the Speaker Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin.

He further pointed out that this should not be misconstrued as unwillingness on the part of the Minority to engage with the Committee, but rather it’s a necessary step to ensure that due process is followed, and the process remains fair, impartial and credible.

Mr Afenyo-Markin further noted that they hope the Speaker will address their concerns in a manner that will uphold the integrity of the Committee’s work and the broader interest of Parliament.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament (MP) for Klottey Korle believes President John Dramani Mahama’s invitation and subsequent appointment of an Envoy to The Alliance of Sahel States is to send a strong message to the entire ECOWAS block that there is still room to get back to the discussion table to see how to mend bridges among ourselves.

She said Ghana and Burkina Faso, the two neighbours have had long standing close ties especially during the period of Jerry Rawlings and Thomas Sankara, so trying to cement that relationship is important to dealing with the insecurity situation at the northern parts of Ghana and Burkina Faso.

The Klottey Korle MP emphasized that the two countries are not just neighbours but also share family ties as hence any disturbance in any of the countries forces people to find refuge in the other, as peaceful co-existence is thus very crucial and beneficial to both countries.

President Mahama’s move, she said it even more relevant as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has itself opened its doors for the three countries to return to the bloc despite the formation of The Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

According to her to extricate oneself from an economic community such as ECOWAS or any other is not as simple as having formed a new position of saying you don’t belong; as there are a lot of things that affect the nationals of the various nation states that are part of the community that have far reaching implications beyond the political including economic, and socio-cultural implications.

“I believe that what we saw in terms of the invitations of the head of State of Burkina Faso as well as the appointment of Rt. Colonel Gbevlo Lartey as an envoy to those countries is a strong message that Ghana understands that the struggle towards self-determination, the struggle towards economic empowerment is not as linear as we like to say it is; and in so doing it is an acknowledgement that there are other ways by which one can actually reach out to our brothers and sisters in other countries to re-mend broken bridges”, she stated.

Dr Zanetor said the invitation is also probably to say that “we are not casting you away; you are still part of us and there is room to have conversation on how we come together” since the ultimate goal of having a bloc is the empowerment of our people and not personal issues either as a head of state or whatever, but for the greater good of the various nations particularly the vulnerable. More so, it is important in making sure that we are not making our countries more vulnerable, giving the fact that incidents of terrorist armed groups and violent extremism is prevalence and knocking at our doors.

“We cannot sit here as a country holding our credentials of democratic rule for as long as we have, and feel that we can live in isolation. We have borders that are porous among other things; so we need to have ways in which we can bridge the gap to decrease our risk but of course make sure that we’re trying to create some greater cohesion in the sub-region; so I believe it was positive”, she emphasized.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com