Military-Police clash: Afenyo-Markin rejects Speaker’s summoning of Def., Interior Ministers

The Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has described as premature, the Speaker’s directive summoning the Defence and Interior Ministers over Wednesday’s bloody clash between a group of soldiers and some police personnel in Tamale.

According to Afenyo-Markin, who is a Member of Parliament’s select committee on defence and interior, the Speaker’s directive undermines the duties of the committee.

The MP had earlier been refused to contest the Speaker’s ruling during proceedings in the chamber.

“The exceptional circumstances warrant that a committee of parliament must first look into the matter, that is my contention,” the MP explained to TV3’s Catherine Frimpomaa on Friday.

He has therefore vowed to make application for a variation of the Speaker’s ruling next week, suggesting that if it is made to stand, “we will be setting a bad precedent”.

He argued, “The gravity of which has to do with insecurity of this country, and we say that a committee of the house responsible for that should be stampeded for a mere ministerial response and that is the end of the story? No! The committee must first delve into that matter.” Dominic Nitiwul and Ambrose Dery, Defence and Interior Ministers respectively were summoned by the Speaker to brief the House next week Tuesday on the circumstances leading to the bloody clash between the military and police personnel in the Northern Regional capital Tamale and measures being taken to avoid similar occurrences.

But presenting the business statement for next week, there was no mention of their appearance.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu was unhappy about the development.

He also expressed concern about the absence of some ministers to appraise the House on certain important issues.

But the Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained that the Defense Minister was out of the country.

He informed parliament that the minister has promised to confer with his colleague and “offer appropriate response” to the MPs.

In another development, Haruna Iddrisu has questioned the preparedness of the Electoral Commission to carry out its mandate if the commission of inquiry into the creation of new regions recommends and the President accepts the proposal to create more regions.

Meanwhile, the appointments committee has laid its report on the vetting of the Deputy Special Prosecutor to Parliament pending adoption or otherwise. Cynthia Jane Naa- Korshie Lamptey was unanimously approved by the committee after her vetting on Wednesday.