Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the John Mahama-led government of pursuing a selective approach to investigations and prosecutions, warning against the use of state institutions to intimidate political opponents.
He alleged that investigative and prosecutorial agencies were being used disproportionately against opposition figures and cited the recent attempted arrest of the Manhyia South MP, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, at the premises of the High Court in Accra.
According to Mr Afenyo-Markin, the circumstances surrounding the attempted arrest did not comply with applicable constitutional and parliamentary procedures.
He also raised concerns about the subsequent warrant obtained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the MP’s prolonged detention after he voluntarily presented himself to the agency.
Mr Afenyo-Markin made the allegations yesterday when he led a delegation of the Minority Caucus in Parliament to engage the leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG).
The meeting formed part of the Council’s engagement with key institutional stakeholders on the economy, constitutional governance, the rule of law and other pressing national issues.
The engagement followed an invitation from the CCG amid public debate over the financial performance and governance of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
The meeting was intended to understand the Minority’s position on the matter and explore ways of strengthening transparency and accountability while protecting an important national economic asset.
‘We seek no immunity’
Speaking on the theme, “Engaging the Christian Council: A National Conversation on Ghana’s Economy, Democracy and the Future We Must Build,” Mr Afenyo-Markin told the clergy that the Minority was not seeking preferential treatment under the law, but wanted state institutions to operate within their legal mandate.
“We seek no immunity from lawful investigation and will never defend impunity. But accountability must proceed according to law, and the coercive powers of the state must never become instruments for intimidating legitimate opposition,” he said.
He assured the Council that the Minority would remain peaceful and law-abiding, but would not abandon its constitutional responsibility to hold the government accountable.
“To do so would effectively silence the millions of Ghanaians whose votes entrusted us with that responsibility,” he added.
The Minority Leader also expressed concern about the economic difficulties confronting households, particularly youth unemployment, and said economic recovery should translate into jobs, improved living conditions and meaningful opportunities for young people.He warned that persistent economic exclusion among the youth could threaten social cohesion and national stability.
GoldBod losses
Touching on the reported US$1.7 billion losses associated with the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, Mr Afenyo-Markin reiterated the Minority’s concerns about the figures and their potential implications for the Bank of Ghana’s balance sheet and any recapitalisation burden that could fall on taxpayers.
“We called for transparent and independent reconciliation of the figures and the underlying transactions,” he said.
On constitutional reform, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) supported necessary reforms, but had reservations about the government’s current approach, particularly the scale of the proposed amendments and what he described as significant departures from the recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee.
He said constitutional reform of such magnitude required broad national ownership.The meeting also touched on the pending Supreme Court proceedings concerning presidential term limits.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Minority respected the independence of the Court and would not prejudge the cases, but stressed the need to preserve effective constitutional restraints against excessive or indefinite concentration of executive power.
National Cathedral
The Minority also raised a number of social and national development issues, including the protection of children from social media harms while safeguarding constitutional liberties, rights-centred regulation of artificial intelligence, narcotics trafficking, illegal mining and water security, religious freedom and mission schools and long-term national development planning.
On the National Cathedral project, Mr Afenyo-Markin accused the government of changing its position on the project after previously criticising it while in opposition.
He appealed to the Christian Council to help explore a transparent, Christian-led private financing model that could provide a credible way forward without imposing additional construction costs on taxpayers.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also briefed the Council on the new leadership structure of the NPP following its recent National Delegates Conference in Kumasi and asked for prayers for the party.
He extended his goodwill to political leaders across the country, irrespective of their political affiliations.
For its part, the Christian Council commended the Minority for what it described as the courage with which it continued to discharge its constitutional mandate despite being in the minority in Parliament.
The Council said the meeting formed part of its engagement with key institutional stakeholders and that the issues raised would, where appropriate, be referred to relevant bodies within the Church for consideration and possible action.
Mr Afenyo-Markin was accompanied by the Second Deputy Minority Whip and MP for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib; MP for Okere, Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth; MP for Suhum, Frank Asiedu Bekoe; MP for Anyaa-Sowutuom, Emmanuel Tobbin; MP for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko and other members of the Minority Caucus.
The Council delegation was chaired by Bishop Dr Lawson Adjei, a former Vice-Chairman and Executive Member of the CCG, and included the Acting General Secretary, Dr Joyce Lako Steiner and other officials.
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