Ministerial Vetting chaos: ‘Minority leader instigated his people to misbehave’

The Member of Parliament for Nkwanta North, John Oti Kwabena Bless, has indicated that the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, of instigating the chaos that erupted during the recent vetting process on the night of Thursday, January 30.

Testifying before the investigative committee probing the disturbances on Friday 7th February, Mr Oti Bless claimed that the Minority Leader deliberately refused to intervene when his members engaged in violent actions, leading to the destruction of public property.

“All the things that happened that day were caused by the Minority Leader, Afenyo-Markin. A leader who stands by and watches his members vandalise and destroy public property without uttering a word or stopping them is as guilty as those involved,” he stated.

He further alleged that the Minority Leader ignored multiple pleas from his colleagues to allow Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, health minister nominee to be vetted that evening.

“What I saw was that Dr. Afriyie, the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, and most of the Minority members all initially wanted Akandoh to be vetted. Before the incident started, Dr Afriyie even walked to the Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin, to plead with him, but he snubbed him. Annoh-Dompreh also wanted Akandoh to be vetted, but the Minority Leader rejected the request and said whatever would happen should happen. I was watching them,” Oti Bless testified.

He insisted that parliamentary members take instructions from their leadership, and Afenyo-Markin’s refusal to act directly contributed to the chaos.

“What I saw was that the Minority Leader instigated his people to misbehave,” he added.

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