News
Afenyo Markin urges Majority to stop displaying placards against Ken Ofori Atta in Parliament
Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo Markin, has appealed to members of the Majority caucus to stop displaying placards bearing the name and image of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on the floor of Parliament and describing him as corrupt.
His appeal followed concerns raised by the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party and members of Mr Ofori Atta’s family over how his image was used on placards during the recent State of the Nation Address in Ghana.
Addressing the House, Mr Afenyo Markin explained that no court has found the former finance minister guilty of corruption and therefore cautioned against actions that could damage his reputation.
He indicated that although political disagreements are normal in Parliament, deliberately printing and displaying Mr Ofori Atta’s pictures in a negative manner, especially when the attention of the world was on the chamber during the address, was inappropriate.
Mr Afenyo Markin therefore appealed to the Majority leadership, particularly the Chief Whip, to ensure that such actions are controlled or stopped in the future to maintain peace in the House.
He revealed that the Council of Elders of his party had summoned him to ask what steps the caucus was taking in response to the incident.
The Minority Leader also acknowledged concerns raised by a member of Parliament who is a relative of the former finance minister and had persistently drawn attention to the issue in the chamber.
He stressed that Mr Ofori Atta remains a human being with a family and reputation that should not be unfairly attacked.
Mr Afenyo Markin added that he did not intend to litigate the matter but was making a respectful plea to the Majority leadership to end what he described as the continued persecution and attacks on the former finance minister’s name in the chamber.
By: Jacob Aggrey
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
