Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, has criticised Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament and MP for Effutu, for letting his emotions dictate his actions during a recent chaotic session of Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
His comments follow an incident in which tensions between the Majority and Minority escalated, resulting in the throwing of furniture and equipment.
The conflict began when the Majority insisted on continuing the vetting process beyond 10pm. The Minority, however, opposed this, arguing that their work for the day had been completed and that the agenda had been exhausted.
What followed was a heated exchange that quickly descended into disorder, with both sides physically clashing, leading to the abrupt end of the meeting.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show, Fuseini expressed his disappointment with Markin’s conduct, emphasising that Parliament has well-defined procedures for resolving such disputes.
He argued that, as a leader, Markin should have sought to resolve the issue calmly and within the framework of Parliament’s established rules, rather than allowing his emotions to dictate his actions.
He remarked, “There are clear procedures to resolve conflicts in Parliament. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to seek an amicable solution rather than letting emotions take over. It doesn’t show leadership and maturity, and he did that with impunity.”
He also addressed the concerns Afenyo-Markin raised about the Clerk of Parliament, whom Markin had accused of showing bias in favour of the Majority.
Fuseini reminded Afenyo-Markin that Parliament has formal procedures for lodging complaints and handling such grievances. Rather than resorting to emotional outbursts, he stressed that Afenyo-Markin should have followed the correct channels.
He added, “If you believe the Clerk is being biased, there are proper procedures to follow. Resorting to emotional outbursts doesn’t solve anything.”
Furthermore, Fuseini highlighted the fact that the Parliamentary Service has clear rules and regulations governing the conduct of its officers. He questioned why Afenyo-Markin had not followed these guidelines, instead allowing his emotions to dictate his response. “The Parliamentary Service has rules and regulations regarding how officers behave, so why would you boil over? Why speak to an adult in such a manner, as if they didn’t matter?”
Fuseini expressed disbelief that the Minority Leader allowed the situation to escalate instead of addressing the issue through the proper channels.
He called for greater maturity from leaders in Parliament, urging them to set a more measured example for the House. “Leaders must approach issues with composure and maturity, especially in a setting as important as Parliament,” he concluded.
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