Chaos Erupts in Ghana’s Parliament Over Ministerial Vetting

 Chaos Erupts in Ghana’s Parliament Over Ministerial Vetting 

Ghana’s Parliament descended into **chaos** on Thursday night as **lawmakers clashed**, overturned furniture, and disrupted proceedings during a **heated ministerial vetting session**. Police were called in to restore order after MPs engaged in **physical altercations**, damaging desks, microphones, and other parliamentary equipment.  

### **What Sparked the Brawl?**  

The **ministerial vetting session** was meant to examine the qualifications of three new ministerial nominees from the ruling **National Democratic Congress (NDC)**. However, tensions flared when MPs from the opposition **New Patriotic Party (NPP)** accused the **vetting committee** of prolonging the process for political reasons.  

- **Alexander Afenyo-Markin**, the NPP leader in Parliament, faced criticism for excessively **questioning** ministerial nominee **Samuel Nartey George** for over **five hours**.  

- NDC MPs saw this as an attempt at **political payback**, as George had previously **criticized** former President **Nana Akufo-Addo** and Vice President **Mahamudu Bawumia**.  

- The prolonged questioning led to **heated arguments**, with MPs **shouting, pushing, and flipping tables** in protest.  

### **Public Apology and Aftermath**  

On **Friday morning**, the chairman of the vetting committee **apologized** to the Ghanaian people, calling the events **“completely unacceptable”**.  

- **NPP defended their actions**, arguing that **parliamentary traditions** allow thorough questioning of nominees.  

- **NDC accused NPP MPs** of trying to delay the vetting process and obstruct government operations.  

- As a result of the disruption, the vetting session was **postponed to Friday**.  

### **A History of Parliamentary Clashes**  

This is **not the first time** Ghana’s Parliament has witnessed **physical confrontations**. In recent years, Ghanaian lawmakers have engaged in **scuffles** over issues ranging from **election disputes to budget approvals**.  

The **latest incident** raises concerns about **parliamentary decorum** and the state of **political discourse** in Ghana, especially as tensions remain high following the December **2024 elections**.  

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