By Fuvi Kloku for Sankofaonline.com
An Open Letter to Rt. Hon. Alban S. K. Bagbin
There comes a point when a nation must pause and ask itself uncomfortable questions. Not out of malice, not out of partisanship, but out of a genuine desire to protect the dignity of our democracy. Ghana has reached that point.
Because when indiscipline becomes routine, when misconduct becomes fashionable, and when consequences become optional, the rot does not begin at the bottom , it begins at the top.
And so, Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban S. K. Bagbin, the wondering mind simply wants to ask:
How did we get here?
How did we arrive at a place where a Member of Parliament can slap a police officer on duty ,in public, in broad daylight , and walk away untouched?
How did we arrive at a place where MPs can break parliamentary furniture during vetting, and the nation is told to “move on”?
How did we arrive at a place where an MP can publicly insult Dr. Zanetor Agyeman‑Rawlings, calling her “a daughter of a murderer,” and the institution that should defend decorum suddenly loses its voice?
And how, Mr. Speaker, did we arrive at a place where the Privileges Committee referral of Hon. Afenyo‑Markin has gone so silent that even the walls of Parliament cannot remember the last time it was mentioned?
These are not trivial matters.
These are not partisan talking points.
These are questions about the soul of Parliament , the very institution that claims to be the guardian of our democracy.
What happened to the MPs who broke tables during vetting?
Ghanaians watched the chaos live.
Tables smashed. Tempers flaring.
A vetting process turned into a wrestling arena.
We were told investigations would follow.
We were told discipline would be applied.
We were told Parliament would not tolerate such conduct.
And then , silence.
Complete, deafening silence.
If ordinary citizens vandalize state property, they are arrested.
If MPs do it, they get a press release and a pat in the back.
How did your meeting with Emefa Hardcastle go?
The public was told there would be clarity.
There would be accountability.
There would be transparency.
Yet, like many things in our political culture, the meeting came and went, and the people were left with more questions than answers.
What about the MP who insulted Dr. Zanetor Agyeman‑Rawlings?
When an MP publicly labels a colleague “a daughter of a murderer,” it is not just an insult , it is a stain on Parliament itself.
Where is the reprimand?
Where is the apology?
Where is the institutional backbone?
If Parliament cannot defend its own members from character assassination, how can it defend the nation?
Has the Privileges Committee finished the Afenyo‑Markin referral?
A police officer was slapped.
Not by a criminal.
Not by a street thug.
But by a sitting Member of Parliament.
And yet, months later, the Privileges Committee has gone mute.
No report.
No sanctions.
No accountability.
If a police officer on duty can be assaulted by a lawmaker without consequence, what message does that send to the rest of the country?
No wonder indiscipline is everywhere.
No wonder impunity is rising.
No wonder the public is losing faith.
Is Parliament sweeping these matters under the carpet?
Ghanaians are not asking for miracles.
They are asking for consistency.
They are asking for fairness.
They are asking for leadership.
When MPs misbehave and nothing happens, it tells the nation that Parliament is not a House of Honour , it is a House of Selective Justice.
When misconduct is ignored, it becomes normalized.
When normalized, it becomes culture.
And when it becomes culture, democracy begins to rot from within.
Mr. Speaker, the nation is watching.
This is not about NPP or NDC.
This is not about left or right.
This is about whether Parliament still has the moral authority to demand discipline from the rest of the country.
Because if lawmakers can break tables, insult colleagues, assault police officers, and walk away untouched, then what moral right does Parliament have to lecture the youth about discipline?
What moral right does Parliament have to demand respect from citizens?
What moral right does Parliament have to call itself the conscience of the nation?
The wondering mind is simply asking.
Not out of disrespect.
Not out of mischief.
But out of a deep concern for the future of our democracy.
Ghana deserves answers.
Ghana deserves accountability.
Ghana deserves a Parliament that leads by example , not one that hides behind silence.
Mr. Speaker, the ball is in your court.
