Annoh-Dompreh Refutes Claims of Being Smuggled into Parliament

There was a charged atmosphere in the exchanges between Parliament's leadership as the Majority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, refuted claims of having been "smuggled" into the Parliamentary Chamber. This follows an accusation by the Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, that the security had allowed Annoh-Dompreh access into the Chamber against standard parliamentary practice.

Agbodza made these observations in an interview with Citi FM, citing a Parliamentary circular that indicated that the Chamber was supposed to be opened at 8:00 am on October 22. He showed that such circumstances imply that Annoh-Dompreh's early presence in the Chamber went against those guidelines.

In a swift response, however, Annoh-Dompreh said he usually comes early to ensure that everything is in place before any proceedings and therefore described the accusation as baseless. "I came to Parliament early and went to the Chamber. I was sitting there when they told me that they wanted to sweep the place, so I come out to stand here," he explained.

Annoh-Dompreh warned Agbodza to be more measured in making accusations, as his position of Majority Chief Whip demands that he carries out an efficient scrutiny process. He issued a warning that with the recent legal and political pressures at play in the disputed seats, the Majority Caucus was well positioned for a bruising battle in Parliament.

With these internal tensions and the recent move from the Speaker's declaration of four seats vacant, the fight between the Majority and the Minority in Parliament keeps getting fiercer and has turned the political atmosphere even more volatile.