{"id":2916,"date":"2026-10-01T21:21:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T21:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/?p=2916"},"modified":"2026-10-01T21:21:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T21:21:44","slug":"we-will-not-let-this-matter-rest-afenyo-markin-declares-after-bagbin-dismisses-cocaine-probe-motion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/index.php\/we-will-not-let-this-matter-rest-afenyo-markin-declares-after-bagbin-dismisses-cocaine-probe-motion\/","title":{"rendered":"We will not Let This Matter Rest \u2013 Afenyo-Markin declares after Bagbin Dismisses Cocaine Probe Motion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Clement Akoloh<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accra, September 29, 2026 – Minority Leader Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin has vowed that the Minority will not let the narcotics scandal rest, despite Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin dismissing their motion for a parliamentary probe.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing a press conference at Parliament House moments after the Speaker’s ruling, Afenyo-Markin said the ruling weakens Parliament and sets a dangerous precedent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“To prevent Parliament from examining every administrative or institutional failure connected to underlying facts, then the commencement of criminal proceedings will effectively place entire public institutions beyond parliamentary scrutiny for as long as those cases remain before the courts,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaker Bagbin earlier ruled the motion filed by First Deputy Minority Whip, Habib Iddrisu (Tolon), as inadmissible under Standing Orders 5, 6, 103, Rule F, Order 192 and Order 233, and dismissed it in limine, on grounds that it overlaps with matters pending before the courts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The motion sought to establish an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate major drug busts linked to Ghana, including the 3.9 tonnes of cocaine seized at Dunkirk, France on September 10, the 320kg of methamphetamine intercepted in Australia, and cocaine interceptions in Takoradi and Cape Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Afenyo-Markin insisted the Speaker got it wrong.”Mr Speaker therefore got it wrong by using existing pending criminal proceedings to determine the scope and manner of the inquiry. It should not operate as a complete bar to Parliament exercising oversight jurisdiction over public institutions and systems implicated in these matters,” he argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the Speaker could have admitted the motion and given guardrails, directing the committee not to inquire into guilt or innocence of accused persons, not to pronounce on evidence before a court, and to sit in camera where national security requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The constitutional balance must be preserved. This approach would have preserved the authority of the court while also preserving the constitutional mandate of Parliament,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He accused the Majority of acting as obstructionists. “It is clear to us that the true obstructionists are the Majority. As you witnessed, because the Majority had nothing to say, they behaved like that woman in the biblical Solomon story. They were quick to hail Mr Speaker. They were quick to rise for an adjournment because they don’t want scrutiny,” he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Effutu MP warned that a super-majority must never be used to silence the minority. “A super-majority must never become an excuse to weaken the minority, silence scrutiny or diminish Parliament’s duty to oversight. When Parliament is weakened, accountability is weakened and institutions of state are left with fewer checks,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He concluded that the Minority will explore other constitutional options to bring the matter back. “We say that we are left with another option. We will exercise an option within the Constitution and our own Standing Orders in ensuring that this narcotic issue, which has gotten Ghana to gain notoriety as a transshipment point for narcotics, back onto the front burner. We will not let this matter rest,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also criticized the government, saying, “The 24-hour economy has turned into 24-hour cocaine economy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: parliamentnews360.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Minority Leader Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin has vowed that the Minority will not let the narcotics scandal rest, despite Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin dismissing their motion for a parliamentary probe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[200,1717,1716,1268],"class_list":{"0":"post-2916","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"tag-alban-sumana-kingsford-bagbin","9":"tag-cocaine-probe-motion","10":"tag-narcotics-scandal","11":"tag-osahen-kwamena-afenyo-markin"},"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n