Ghana’s parliament was forced to suspend today’s session after the minority and the majority parties clashed in a raucous exchange of words over which party had a worse drug record.
Ghana’s parliament was forced to suspend today’s session after the minority and the majority parties clashed in a raucous exchange of words over which party had a worse drug record.
Members of Parliament put the day’s business of discussing the budget aside and proceeded into a frenzied finger-pointing session, yelling allegations at each other.
Reports say the rancor started when Deputy Minority Leader, Dominic Nitiwul was invited to contribute to an ongoing discussion on the 2015 financial statement. Mr. Nitiwul brought out two bags of rice, which he said weighed 12.5 kilograms; the same weight as the amount of cocaine found on Nayele Amatefe aka Ruby Adu-Gyamfi, the Ghanaian lady who was busted at the Heathrow airport recently and reportedly brandished a diplomatic passport.
Mr. Nitiwul questioned how Ms. Adu Gamfi, also known as Nayele Ametefeh, was able to outwit security at the Kotoka International Airport with such a large quantity of drugs. He suggested that some high-level government and security officials were probably complicit in the matter. He went further to accuse the government of being in bed with cocaine barons.
The majority on its part responded by referring to the arrest of former NPP MP Daniel Amoateng who was arrested in the US with drugs under President John Kuffour’s tenure.
After trying in vain to bring order to the House, Speaker Edward Doe-Adjaho was forced to suspend sitting abruptly and summon the leadership of both sides to his office to talk over the issue. He further accused Mr. Nitiwul of showing “clear disrespect to his office” by needlessly raising the issue of cocaine in an ‘ill-timed’ fashion.
So far, an assistant director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Abel Ashitey Armah, has been arrested in connection with the case. Two others, Theophilus Kissi of the Research Department attached to the VVIP Lounge at the Kotoka International Airport and one Abubakar Ahmed, have also been picked up by the Bureau of National Investigations for allegedly aiding Ms. Adu-Gyamfi.