Minority accuses First Deputy Speaker of partisanship
The Minority has accused the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, of extreme partisanship following the rejection of a request to present an urgent statement on the ongoing nationwide strike by nurses and midwives.
Speaking to the press in Parliament on Tuesday, June 10, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, said the Minority had sought to make a formal statement under Standing Order 93(1), which allows for statements on matters of urgent public importance, but the Speaker refused to admit it.
“We are here clearly to explain to the public the extreme partisan nature of the First Deputy Speaker. He’s been extremely partisan this evening, disregarding the provisions of the Standing Orders of this House,” Dr. Afriyie said.
He explained that the joint statement, co-authored with MP for Weija-Gbawe, Ahmed Jerry, was aimed at urging the government to resolve the impasse with health professionals while also calling on the striking nurses to show compassion and return to work.
“If this is not important, what’s our business in the House now?” he asked, adding that the Speaker’s refusal was an affront to the lives of Ghanaians and a missed opportunity for Parliament to lead a constructive path to resolution.
Dr. Afriyie said the Minority’s position is not political but a sincere attempt to protect the rights of health workers while appealing to them to be sympathetic to the plight of patients.
“We’re not playing politics, unlike them. This is a very reasonable Minority. We understand the nurses’ rights should not be breached, but we are even pleading with them—be merciful. Let government act, but also consider Ghanaians,” he said.
He called the Speaker’s action a partisan move that undermines Parliament’s role in holding the government accountable and promoting public welfare.
Background
Parliament was abruptly adjourned on Thursday after a heated confrontation between the Minority and the Speaker’s chair over the refusal to allow a statement on the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).
The standoff escalated to the nearly physical removal of the Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, by parliamentary marshals.
The tension erupted after the Majority Leader moved for adjournment following routine parliamentary business.
Dr. Afriyie, visibly agitated, rose to demand an urgent discussion on the GRNMA strike, which has crippled healthcare services nationwide since June 4.
The Deputy Speaker, however, ruled him out of order.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, pleaded with the First Deputy Speaker to temper the rules of the House due to the delicate and moral nature of the healthcare strike.
But Mr Ahiafor was firm, citing procedural breaches, adding that he was not ready to set a bad precedent by granting any such leave.
“I intend not to grant any leave,” he said.
When Afriyie insisted, the Deputy Speaker summoned marshals to escort him out, prompting shouts of protest from Minority MPs.
“Honourable Marshal, you’re hereby directed to walk Afriyie out of the house,” the first Deputy Speaker ordered.
