The Majority Group in Parliament has requested that NDC Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, be referred to the Privileges Committee.

The NPP MPs in Parliament on Thursday referred to Mr Gyamfi's attack on the leadership of the House when he accused Speaker, Alban Bagbin and NDC legislators of betraying the opposition party. Sammy Gyamfi's alleged attack was prompted by the approval of some ministerial nominees by President Akuso Addo, despite concerns raised by the Party's Executive.

Second Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, at today's proceedings, presided over by the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, therefore, in accordance with Order 27 moved for the motion that the NDC Communications Officer be investigated.

"Mr Speaker, I hereby draw the attention of the House to comments made by Sammy Gyamfi, the Communications Officer of the NDC. Mr Speaker, this is an attack on the Speakership and the leadership of this House. Under Order 27, I want to move that this should be referred to the Committee of Privileges as precedence in this House has already shown and latest was yesterday," he stated.

On March 4, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, in a Facebook post sighted by JoyNews, stated that Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu and Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak brazenly defied the leadership of the Party and betrayed the collective good for their selfish interests.

“We, must not let them succeed in their parochial quest to destroy the NDC, the party that has done so much for them and all of us. The shame they have brought on the party will forever hang like an albatross, around their necks,” he added.

He was worried that NDC MPs on Parliament’s Appointments Committee had approved the nomination of then Defence Minister-designate, Dominic Nitiwul and three other rejected Ministers-designate who were were brought before the House.

The three are; Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Food and Agriculture Minister-designate, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and Minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Koomson.

Contesting the majority's position, Banda MP, Ahmed Ibrahim, stated that the Speaker was not notified of such a matter before it was laid before the House, thereby breaching Order 73 (A) of the Standing Orders.

"I was with him in the Speaker's lobby together with leadership. In my presence with him in your lobby this morning, I didn't hear him seeking your prior approval on such an issue."

Order 73 (A), which focuses on Complaints of contempt of Parliament states, "a member may, at the time appointed for contempt of Parliament, under the provision of order 53 (that is the order of business) make by the House, any complaint of contempt of Parliament, provided he has previously notified Mr Speaker on that."

But Deputy Majority Whip, Alexander Afenyo-Markin defended the request to have Mr Gyamfi investigated stating that "what is good for the goose, is good for the gander."

"Let us be fair as a House. This application must not receive opposition because Sammy Gyamfi is your member, you don't want his matter to be considered. It is quite unfair. I humbly pray you Mr Speaker to make your referral to the Committee," he added.

He further insisted that Mr Gyamfi's referral to the Privileges Committee does not imply he is guilty of the accusations against him.

Following the submissions made, the Second Deputy Speaker deferred the House's decision on the matter to Friday, July 16.