Minister for Tourism condemns attack on Clerk during Appointments Committee chaos

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has said that mutual respect among Members of Parliament (MPs) could have prevented the disruption that occurred on Thursday, January 30, during the vetting of ministerial nominees.

Speaking before an Investigative Committee probing the disturbances in Parliament, Mrs. Gomashie expressed her concerns about the incidents that unfolded, which saw heated exchanges between members of the Majority and Minority caucuses at the Appointments Committee. The altercations escalated to the point where tables were overturned and microphones damaged.

"It was difficult to watch what was happening and I felt helpless. I saw that, she is a very calm woman... It was hard for me to watch another woman, who has also worked hard and was here in her capacity as a representative of Parliament, being virtually lynched by a man who should know better," Mrs. Gomashie said.

The minister also condemned the verbal assault by Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on the female Clerk of the Appointments Committee, calling it an "intolerable act of intimidation." She recounted the distressing moment when Mr. Afenyo-Markin launched harsh words at the Clerk, leaving her unable to respond.

Mrs. Gomashie, who was present during the sitting of the Appointments Committee, said she was deeply troubled by the treatment of the Clerk.

“I’m a Member of Parliament and blessed to be the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts. I am standing on the shoulders of all the women who have fought… to dare to be who I am today,” she remarked.

She continued, “And it was hard for me to watch another woman, who had also worked hard and was here in her capacity as a representative of Parliament, being virtually lynched by a man who should know better.”

According to Mrs. Gomashie, Mr. Afenyo-Markin repeatedly said, "I will deal with you," which prompted her to act in defence of the Clerk.

“I impulsively just stood up to ask him, ‘What are you going to do?’ Because she couldn’t speak, I thought I had become Yaa Asantewaa for a moment and got up to ask him what he was going to do to her,” she explained.

While acknowledging that shouting across the room was not her usual approach, Mrs. Gomashie expressed that she felt compelled to intervene at that moment.

“I’m not sure if I would allow myself to shout across a room like that again. But on that day, it was the best I could do,” she stated.