Ahiafor Withdraws Afenyo-Markin’s Referral Following Apology to Muntaka

First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, has withdrawn the referral of Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin to the Privileges Committee after he formally apologized to Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka over fraud allegations in the security service recruitment process.

On the floor of Parliament on March 4, Ahiafor ruled that any comments deemed inappropriate by either the Majority or Minority leaders be removed from the official parliamentary record. “The referral to the Privileges and Immunity Committee is hereby withdrawn, and the complained-about words are ordered expunged from the record,” he stated, noting that the matter is now closed.

Afenyo-Markin had previously claimed that the use of a third-party IT firm in the recruitment exercise was a scam and financially burdensome to applicants. He retracted these remarks during the proceedings, emphasizing that he did not intend to harm the Minister’s reputation.

Minister Muntaka accepted the apology, acknowledging the strain caused by the allegations and requested that the disputed remarks be formally removed from the record, signaling the issue’s resolution.