Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor of using parliamentary procedures to frustrate the Minority's constitutional oversight role, following a walkout by Minority MPs in Parliament.

The Minority staged the protest on Wednesday, July 15, after the First Deputy Speaker disallowed a supplementary question Mr Afenyo-Markin sought to ask the Minister for Communications on the government's planned SIM card re-registration exercise.

The First Deputy Speaker ruled that the follow-up question, which sought clarification on procurement processes for the exercise, was unrelated to the original question before the House.

• Read also: Minority stages walkout accusing First Deputy Speaker of bias

Addressing journalists after the walkout, Mr Afenyo-Markin alleged that the First Deputy Speaker had consistently used the Standing Orders to obstruct Minority MPs from scrutinising government actions.

"The First Deputy Speaker has a way of using the rules to stampede parliamentary oversight. You've all observed that he started an attack on our backbenchers. Any time our backbenchers had the opportunity to be on their feet, he would use the rules to frustrate them," he said.

He argued that parliamentary rules should facilitate accountability rather than suppress it.

"The rules are not meant to be used to intimidate, frustrate, and, as he's trying to do, bring Parliament to a standstill. We've tolerated the First Deputy Speaker for quite some time," he stated.

The Effutu Member of Parliament maintained that his supplementary question was in the public interest, as it sought clarity on the cost of the proposed SIM card re-registration exercise and whether the required procurement procedures had been followed.

"This is a government policy that is seeking to start SIM registration afresh. They claim that people use unverifiable identities to get SIM registration cards. And our question is, at what cost?" he said.

He questioned the justification for a fresh registration exercise, noting that the previous one had incurred significant public expenditure.

"How many people were identified to have used stolen IDs and all of that? Especially so when the minister himself said it would be at no cost to the subscribers.

"That's a harmless question. It's in the interest of the Ghanaian public to know how much it is costing the nation. In any event, the previous registration came at a cost. So we need to know what procurement processes are being followed and all of that," he added.

The Minority Leader further argued that the First Deputy Speaker's ruling was inconsistent with Parliament's Standing Orders, insisting that Rule 89(1) permits supplementary questions based on answers provided by ministers.

"And the rules under 89(1) allow you to anchor your supplementary question on an answer given by the minister for the purpose of clarification," he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Minority's walkout was intended as a protest against what they described as the First Deputy Speaker's handling of proceedings, but stressed that it was not a boycott of parliamentary business.

"So this is just our protest. We protested the posture of the First Deputy Speaker, using the rules to frustrate us.

"As you observed, even his own side disagreed with him. The Majority Leader himself realised that what he was doing was wrong. It's the reason why we walked out. However, we're going back into the chamber to deal with other business," he said.