The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has criticised the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, describing his conduct as arrogant and intolerant.
His comments follow a heated exchange on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, June 10, between the Deputy Speaker and the Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie.
The clash occurred after Mr Ahiafor, who is also the NDC MP for Akatsi South, accused Dr Ayew Afriyie of abusing his privilege to an urgent statement while the latter was commenting on the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).
He subsequently ordered the Marshal of Parliament to walk the Effiduase-Asokore MP out of the chamber.
Reacting to the incident in a Facebook post later that day, Mr Assafuah condemned the Deputy Speaker’s actions, calling them undemocratic and reminiscent of colonial times.
“Ahiafor is behaving like a colonial-era lawyer. We are in a democracy in the contemporary world, for Christ’s sake,” he wrote.
“How can your colleague Member of Parliament not be allowed to speak simply because you are sitting in the chair today? And resorting to the use of Marshals at the slightest provocation? When did he become this arrogant?” he quizzed.
