Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, deputy Majority Leader and MP for Effutu
Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo Markin has alleged that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus is suffering a leadership crisis in Parliament.
According to him, the party’s leadership is not in control of its members, which situation had led to discordant tunes from some members and the leadership.
He cited the events of November 26, 2021, during a sitting to vote on the 2022 budget statement when Ningo Prampram MP, Sam Nartey George, held a press conference accusing the NPP of refusing to enter the chamber to proceedings to begin. Markin noted that at the time of the press conference, the leadership of both parties and the Speaker were in a meeting.
“Going forward, the budget has been approved. If they will be fair, they have no leadership. The NDC as it stands today, they have no leadership, because the leader speaks, a backbencher says no.
“Because that Friday (November 26) when we were having a meeting with Mr. Speaker, my colleague Sam George held a press conference to say the majority side was refusing to come to the chamber.
“Meanwhile, we are at a meeting at the instance of Mr Speaker with his own side, yet he held a press conference that we didn’t want to sit. So I think that the NDC should put its house in order,” he added.
According to him, even a recent 20-man bipartisan committee meant to deescalate tensions between the caucuses saw members challenging their leaders on choice of representatives.
“We know what is happening in their caucus because even the 20-man committee, the 10 (reps) some other group said, they don’t agree, why were they not selected.
“So they have a problem, leadership crisis or some hawks have taken over their party, some external interests making life difficult for us. So at the end of the day, they will visit their displeasure on us. They will come and think that we should take responsibility for their own instability in their backyard,” he added.
Afenyo Markin was speaking on the December 4, 2021, edition of Joy FM’s News File programme. His views were rejected by Sam George who was also a guest on the programme.