Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Sefwi-Wiawso constituency of the Western North Region have issued a stern ultimatum to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, demanding an apology following his recent actions against their Member of Parliament, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie.
This protest emerged after Speaker Bagbin expelled Dr. Afriyie from a parliamentary session over comments he deemed disrespectful.
The NPP supporters argue that the Speaker’s conduct was a grave affront to their MP and the people of Sefwi-Wiawso.
Atta Marfo, the NPP Constituency Secretary, described the Speaker’s action as unfortunate and insisted on an unqualified apology to their MP and the constituents of Sefwi-Wiawso.
“The Speaker’s behavior is not just a slight against Dr. Kwaku Afriyie but an insult to the entire Sefwi-Wiawso constituency. We demand an immediate and unqualified apology from Speaker Bagbin,” said Marfo.
The aggrieved party members have given the Speaker a one-week ultimatum to render the apology. They have warned that failure to do so will provoke further actions, asserting their readiness to take more drastic measures if their demands are not met.
“We have no intention of letting this slide. The Speaker must apologize, or he will face our wrath,” Marfo added.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Wiawso, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, has distanced himself from an apology rendered on his behalf by the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, following his expulsion by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
In response to the incident, the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, issued an apology to the Speaker on behalf of the caucus.
However, in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News, Dr. Afriyie firmly rejected this apology, stating that he had not authorized Annoh-Dompreh to apologize on his behalf.
Dr. Afriyie maintained his stance, asserting that his remarks were neither insulting nor disrespectful and thus did not warrant an apology.
“He apologized on my behalf? Well, he doesn’t have my permission to do that and this one you can put on record. We’ll take it to everywhere. I haven’t done any wrong, why should I apologize?” he questioned.
He further emphasized his innocence in the matter, expressing bewilderment at the Speaker’s interpretation of his comments as disrespectful.
“So far I haven’t done anything wrong. I haven’t insulted the Speaker, I haven’t disrespected him, what happened where’s the disrespect?” Dr. Afriyie insisted.