Ghana’s Parliament descended into chaos on Thursday as a ministerial screening session erupted into a physical altercation, prompting Speaker Alban Bagbin to suspend four lawmakers for two weeks.
The lawmakers—Rockson Dafeamakpor, Frank Annor-Dompreh, Alhassan Tampuuli, and Jerry Shai—were penalized on Friday for what Bagbin described as a “gross affront to the dignity of Parliament and a blatant contempt of the House.”
The brawl broke out during the vetting of ministerial nominees from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). Tensions flared when opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) members accused the vetting committee of rushing the process, while NDC lawmakers countered that the opposition was deliberately prolonging proceedings with excessive questioning.
The situation escalated when NPP’s parliamentary leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, spent over five hours interrogating Samuel George, the nominee for communications minister. Frustration boiled over, leading to a violent confrontation where lawmakers exchanged blows, overturned furniture, and damaged microphones.
In response, a special seven-member committee has been tasked with investigating the incident, with a report expected within 10 days. Additionally, the cost of repairs for damaged property will be deducted from the allowances of those found responsible.
This marks the third instance of parliamentary brawls in Ghana in the past four years. Previous altercations occurred in 2021 during the election of a new speaker and later that year amid heated debates on the electronic transaction levy bill.
Authorities have called for stricter measures to prevent further disruptions in the legislative process.
