The Minority caucus in Parliament opposed the approval of Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, as the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.

This opposition occurred on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, January 29, during the debate on the approval of ministers who had been vetted by the Appointment Committee.

The Minority caucus, led by the Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, objected to the approval of Mr. Buah as the Lands Minister.

• Read also: I didn’t intend to disrespect Akufo-Addo with my response to his last SONA – Armah-Kofi Buah

The opposition stemmed from concerns over remarks made by Armah-Kofi Buah regarding former President Akufo-Addo during his last State of the Nation Address (SONA).

During his vetting on Monday, January 27, Armah-Kofi Buah acknowledged that his comments, which were widely perceived as harsh or inappropriate, were not intended to offend the former President but rather reflected the circumstances at the time and declined to offer a retraction or an apology for his statement.

When the issue was raised again in Parliament on Wednesday, the Minority Leader pointed out that there had been a directive from the New Patriotic Party regarding the Lands Minister-designates conduct, which needed to be addressed.

He emphasised that the Minority’s objections would persist until the matter was resolved.

• Read also: Ghanaians have already given a verdict on the true state of the nation – Armah Kofi-Buah

In response, the Lands Minister-designate retracted his statement and apologised for the comment made against former President Akufo-Addo.

Following this, the Minority withdrew their objection, and Mr Buah was subsequently approved by Parliament through a consensus.

After the approval, Mr Afenyo-Markin spoke on the matter, stating that he had no hesitation in accepting the retraction and apology.

“He [Armah-Kofi Buah] agreed to retract and apologise, and same have been captured in the records. Having apologised, having retracted, we can’t stretch the matter. We are no more going to subject him to a secret ballot voting,” he said.

“We have there withdrawn the initial intention to proceed by secret balloting and to support the report to be taken through by consensus,” he added.

The Effutu legislator further stated that MPs should avoid using harsh language against presidents and stressed the importance of decorum and the proper use of language, particularly during ceremonial occasions, to prevent unnecessary debates and acrimony.

Background

On January 3, shortly after former President Akufo-Addo delivered his final SONA in Parliament, Mr Armah Kofi-Buah, in his capacity as the Minority Leader at the time, delivered scathing remarks summarizing what he described as widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s tenure.

“The people of Ghana have already given their verdict on the true state of the country, and that verdict was very clear: economic hardship, huge debt, high youth unemployment, hopelessness, and more. We have come to the end of the road under what has undoubtedly been the worst government in the Fourth Republic,” he stated.

The MP also criticized what he described as reckless borrowing and mismanagement, citing the controversial National Cathedral project as emblematic of the administration’s priorities.

“Mr. President, you will be remembered as the first president who was cushioned by the IMF when you began, and you are still being cushioned at the end of your term… I will leave the matter of the cathedral between you and your God,” he added.

Despite the criticism, Mr Armah-Kofi Buah reiterated during his vetting that his remarks represented the frustrations of Ghanaians and were not intended as a personal attack.