The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged Defence Minister-designate Dr Edward Omane Boamah not to deny him a “protocol allocation” due to the intense questioning he faced during his vetting.
His remarks followed a tense disagreement during an Appointments Committee session on Tuesday, January 28, over a document he presented to Dr Boamah regarding the latter’s comments on the Ghana International School (GIS) land issue.
Dr Boamah had previously condemned what he called the activities of “land looters” under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration following an attempted land grab at GIS in Cantonments, Accra. The school’s security and local police successfully thwarted the attempt.
At the vetting session, Mr Afenyo-Markin sought clarification on these comments, prompting a heated exchange.
Dr Boamah maintained that he believed the matter had been settled and suggested that the incident may have involved an investor acting without government approval rather than being linked to the NPP.
“But I said, I don’t believe that kind of situation is the case, and I promise here that I will investigate it as a citizen of Ghana to get to the bottom of it. So I felt we had settled this matter about GIS land,” he explained.
Mr Afenyo-Markin, however, insisted that the nominee’s initial response had not fully addressed the issue, warranting a further probe.
As tensions rose, Dr Boamah questioned whether Mr Afenyo-Markin was abandoning the GIS land issue.
The Minority Leader retorted, “Dr, if you want to do politics with me, then don’t get irritated when we start the politics.”
Seeking to lighten the mood, he added: “Let me remind you on a lighter note, that the fact that I’m grilling you does not mean that when you get there [Ministry of Defence] and you are supposed to give protocol allocation, you deny me.”
He further alleged that members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had previously benefited from protocol allocations more than their NPP counterparts.
“When I was a Defence Committee member, your ranking – your members benefited. I am saying it on authority, they did, and they even had more than we the NPP members,” he asserted.
Protocol Allocations and Political Controversy
The issue of protocol allocations has been a subject of political debate in recent years.
In August 2024, Interior Minister Henry Quartey strongly denied allegations that he attempted to bribe opposition MPs with recruitment slots in the security services.
The claims were made by NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who alleged that Mr Quartey had offered the slots to silence NDC MPs opposed to the recruitment of 10,000 party foot soldiers into the police force.
Mr Quartey categorically denied the accusations, explaining that he had merely informed his colleagues that the security services’ recruitment portals were open and encouraged them to notify their constituents.
“Let me say categorically that I did not bribe any Member of Parliament,” Mr Quartey stated.
He further clarified that his remarks were made during a closed-door meeting with legislators and were not intended to influence or bribe anyone.
“…When you say bribe, it is a very strong statement to use. I find it interesting that the National Chairman (of the NDC) can use the word bribe. How do you bribe a Member of Parliament?” he questioned.
“Of course, MPs have got constituents who may have also bought forms. Is it wrong to say that if they have bought forms, they should go through the same process? Is it wrong? I am not saying bring me five (of them) so I can put them there. So, let me say categorically that I did not bribe any Member of Parliament.”
Mr Quartey insisted that his comments were meant to encourage MPs to remind their constituents about the recruitment process.
He also reassured the public that the security services remained neutral and would not be filled with political affiliates. While he dismissed Mr Asiedu Nketia’s allegations, he stated that he would not pursue legal action.
“We are in a political season. Frankly speaking, I am not going to waste my time and energy to go to court over this. I am not going to do that, but I just want to make it clear that there was no attempt to bribe any MP, and I don’t have a list of 10,000 on my desk,” he said.
Mr Quartey urged Ghanaians to disregard the claims, reaffirming his commitment to upholding national peace and security.
Source: Graphiconline