The Ghana Voice,
Accra, Ghana
AFENYO-MARKIN CRIES FOUL OVER OFORI-ATTA POSTERS IN PARLIAMENT
The Ghana Voice 05-03-2026Tensions flared in Parliament as the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, appealed to the Majority side to stop displaying photographs of Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, during proceedings in the House.
The protest follows last Friday’s State of the Nation Address delivered by President John Dramani Mahama, where some members of the ruling Majority side held up images of the former minister while the President addressed the nation.
Raising the matter on the floor, Afenyo-Markin revealed that the NPP National Council of Elders and the Ofori-Atta family had contacted him to express strong concerns over the incident.
According to the Minority Leader, the family was disturbed that Members of Parliament were allowed to display the images of the former Finance Minister in the chamber while the eyes of the international community were fixed on Ghana.
He therefore urged the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, to ensure that such displays do not happen again in Parliament.
“This is a matter that has generated serious concern from the party elders and the family,” Afenyo-Markin told the House, insisting that Parliament must maintain decorum during high-profile national events.
Responding to the concerns, Dafeamekpor explained that the display of the photograph was not intended to humiliate the former minister or his relatives.
Instead, he said the action was meant to send a clear message calling on Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana and account for his stewardship while he served as Finance Minister.
In an emotional moment on the floor, the South Dayi MP also appealed directly to Duke Ofori-Atta, brother of the former minister who was present in the parliamentary gallery at the time, to advise his sibling to return home.
According to Dafeamekpor, the gesture was purely symbolic and aimed at encouraging the former minister—who is currently battling deportation and extradition proceedings abroad—to come back and address the allegations against him.
The exchange briefly heightened the political atmosphere in the chamber, reflecting the deep partisan divisions surrounding the controversy involving the former Finance Minister.
The issue of Ofori-Atta continues to dominate Ghana’s political discourse, with calls from some quarters demanding accountability while others insist the matter should be handled with fairness and respect for due process.