Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has suspended four Members of Parliament (MPs) for two weeks, effective immediately, following a chaotic incident during Thursday’s sitting of the Appointments Committee.
The suspended MPs include the chief Whips for both the Minority and Majority caucuses, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor and Frank Annoh-Dompreh, as well as Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli and Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
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In addition, Speaker Bagbin has set up a committee to probe the incident. The suspension follows what the Speaker described as an embarrassing episode for Parliament, with tables and microphones broken during the disorder, and MPs nearly engaging in physical altercations.
The Speaker directed the Parliamentary Marshal to prevent the suspended MPs from entering the chamber for the duration of their suspension.
Speaker Bagbin emphasized that such behaviour was unacceptable and warned that further action would be taken if similar incidents occur in the future. He expressed his disappointment with the MPs involved, highlighting that their conduct was unbecoming and had brought shame to Parliament.
To ensure order and discipline within parliamentary proceedings, the Speaker noted that the suspension was necessary, and additional consequences could follow if disruptions continued. Speaker Bagbin assured the public that Parliament would take a strong stance against any actions that harm its reputation or disrupt its work.
The Appointments Committee has since issued an apology for the incident ahead of today’s vetting session.
