Parliament has adopted a new resolution reconstituting Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, restoring Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin to the country’s team after months of controversy surrounding his earlier removal.
The newly-approved delegation will be led by George Ricketts-Hagan and comprises Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Laadi Ayii Ayamba, Eric Afful, Dominic Napare, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi and Bryan Acheampong. Millicent Yeboah Amankwah will serve as an observer.
The decision effectively ends a prolonged dispute that generated significant debate within Parliament following an earlier reshuffle of Ghana’s representation to the regional legislative body.
The controversy began when Afenyo-Markin, who also serves as the Minority Leader in Parliament, was dropped from the delegation and replaced by Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei. The move immediately sparked concerns from the Minority Caucus and among parliamentary watchers, particularly given Afenyo-Markin’s standing within the ECOWAS Parliament.
At the time, Appiagyei publicly distanced herself from the decision, stating that she had not been consulted before her name was submitted as a replacement. She subsequently appealed to Speaker Alban Bagbin to rescind the decision, arguing that proper consultations had not taken place before the changes were announced.
The Minority Leader is the Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, a position regarded as one of the most influential offices within the sub-regional legislature, and protected by a four-year tenure.
The dispute took another turn when Afenyo-Markin attended a meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament despite his exclusion from Ghana’s officially announced delegation.
Former Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, filed a formal contempt motion, alleging that his colleague on the other side defied a parliamentary resolution and asked that he be referred to the Privileges Committee for further interrogation and possible sanctions – a request that was granted by Speaker Alban Bagbin.
This may have intensified the standoff between the Majority and Minority caucuses, with both sides offering differing interpretations of Parliament’s authority over Ghana’s representation at the regional body and the circumstances surrounding Afenyo-Markin’s attendance.
Parliament’s latest resolution now brings the matter to a close.
By restoring Afenyo-Markin to the delegation and approving a newly constituted eight-member team with one observer, Parliament has effectively reversed the decision that triggered months of political and procedural disputes.
The reconstituted delegation is expected to provide continuity in Ghana’s engagement with the ECOWAS Parliament while ending uncertainty over the country’s representation at a time when the regional bloc continues to confront significant political, economic and security challenges.
The development marks the culmination of a controversy that involved questions over consultation, representation, parliamentary procedure and Ghana’s standing within the ECOWAS Parliament.
With Afenyo-Markin once again included in the delegation, and the dust settled, more will be expected of the work of Ghana’s representatives within the regional legislature.
By Christian Yalley
