Parliament has paved the way for Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin to return to Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament after adopting a motion to reconstitute the country’s representation at the regional legislative body.
The decision effectively restores Mr Afenyo-Markin to the nine-member delegation, following weeks of disagreement over his removal and the subsequent nomination of Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei as his replacement.
Mrs Appiagyei had reportedly rejected the nomination, citing concerns over the absence of adequate consultation and alleged procedural irregularities surrounding the process.
The controversy followed a parliamentary resolution that removed Mr Afenyo-Markin from Ghana’s ECOWAS delegation, prompting a petition by former Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga to the Speaker, Alban Bagbin.
Mr Ayariga accused the Minority Leader of disregarding Parliament’s resolution after he continued to participate in ECOWAS parliamentary proceedings despite his replacement.
The Speaker subsequently referred Mr Afenyo-Markin to Parliament’s Privileges Committee for consideration of the allegations.
The disagreement also spilled over into the regional legislative body, where reports indicated that the ECOWAS Parliament declined to swear in Ghana’s reconstituted delegation after Mr Afenyo-Markin, who serves as the institution’s Third Deputy Speaker, appeared at proceedings in Port Harcourt despite having been removed from the delegation.
The impasse reportedly escalated to the point where Ghana threatened to withdraw entirely from the ECOWAS Parliament before the matter was eventually resolved.
Under the newly adopted arrangement, Ghana’s delegation to the Community Parliament of ECOWAS will be led by George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, with Mr Afenyo-Markin reinstated as one of its members.
The reconstituted delegation comprises:
* Hon. George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan – Leader
* Hon. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah – Member
* Hon. Laadi Ayii Ayamba – Member
* Hon. Eric Afful – Member
* Hon. Dominic Napare – Member
* Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin – Member
* Hon. Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi – Member
* Dr Bryan Acheampong – Member
* Hon. Millicent Yeboah Amankwah – Observer.
Mr Afenyo-Markin’s reinstatement brings an end to the immediate uncertainty surrounding his position in Ghana’s ECOWAS delegation, although the earlier referral to the Privileges Committee remains a separate parliamentary matter.
The latest development is particularly significant given his position as Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, a leadership role that had placed Ghana’s representation at the regional legislature at the centre of the dispute.
The reconstitution is expected to restore Ghana’s full participation in the regional parliamentary body and provide clarity on the composition of its delegation.
