Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has suspended four lawmakers for two weeks following a violent altercation during a ministerial screening session on Thursday. The suspended lawmakers, Rockson Dafeamakpor, Frank Annor-Dompreh, Alhassan Tampuuli, and Jerry Shai, were penalized for “gross affront to the dignity of parliament and a blatant contempt of the House.”
The clash occurred during the vetting of ministerial nominees, where tensions flared between opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) members and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). The situation escalated when prolonged questioning led to frustration and a physical brawl, resulting in overturned furniture, destroyed microphones, and lawmakers exchanging blows. A special committee has been assigned to investigate the incident and is expected to report within 10 days.