Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has rejected Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to dismiss the Minority’s motion seeking a parliamentary inquiry into recent major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Speaker erred by relying on ongoing criminal proceedings to determine the scope of Parliament’s proposed inquiry.

“Mr Speaker, therefore, got it wrong by using existing pending criminal proceedings to determine the scope and manner of the inquiry,” he said.

The Minority’s motion, filed by First Deputy Minority Whip and Tolon MP Habib Iddrisu on September 28, sought the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate how major narcotics consignments were processed, inspected, cleared and exported from Ghana.

The motion cited the seizure of 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine at France’s Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026, and the seizure of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine by the Australian Border Force in June 2026.

• Read also: Bagbin dismisses Minority motion on narcotics seizures as inadmissible

Speaker Bagbin, however, ruled during Tuesday’s emergency sitting that the motion was inadmissible because the proposed inquiry substantially overlapped with matters currently before the courts and could prejudice pending judicial proceedings.

Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that the existence of cases before the courts should not prevent Parliament from examining broader institutional and systemic issues surrounding the seizures.

He said the proposed inquiry was intended to examine the conduct, administration and effectiveness of public institutions involved in the matter, rather than interfere with the work of the courts.

“The image of our country is on trial,” he said.

The Minority Leader maintained that Parliament must continue to exercise its constitutional oversight responsibilities despite the Speaker’s ruling.

“We, the Minority, we’ll proceed on this path because democracy requires a strong Parliament. A strong Parliament requires an effective Minority. A super-majority must never become an excuse to weaken the Minority, silence scrutiny, or diminish Parliament’s duty to oversight,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin further warned that weakening parliamentary oversight could reduce accountability across state institutions.

“When Parliament is weakened, our accountability is weakened, and the institutions of state are left with fewer checks on the exercise of power,” he said.

Speaker Bagbin said the proposed inquiry could require Parliament to examine evidence, witnesses, conduct and questions of responsibility directly connected to matters currently before the courts.

He consequently ruled the Private Members’ Motion inadmissible under Standing Orders 5, 6 and 103, Sub-Rule F.