A heated confrontation erupted in Parliament on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, as Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin clashed over former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta’s reported permanent residency in the United States.
Ayariga, speaking on the floor, accused Ofori-Atta of abandoning Ghana after presiding over what he described as economic mismanagement.
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He added that the Minority had earlier assured the house that the former minister would be brought back to account for his stewardship, however it never happened.
“You promised us in this chamber that you will bring Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana. You promised us; we didn't ask you but you promised us that you will bring Ken Ofori-Atta. Now, we are told that he has obtained permanent residency in the United States. A former finance minister running away from his country and you sit there and you want to complain about a government that is just one year and a half in office fixing the mess?,” Ayariga fumed.
Afenyo-Markin, in reaction to the remark got up to defend Ofori-Atta.
He accused the Majority Leader of turning Parliament into a platform for personal attacks, stating that it was unfair to target someone who was not present to respond.
He emphasised that allegations must be proven in court, hence the former minister deserved the right to defend himself.
"Mr Speaker, I will never be provoked; but it is becoming one too many that the majority leader has made Ken Ofori-Atta his target. Mr Speaker, with respect, my respected senior at the bar knows that a man must be heard and that even if all men find a man's hand in a tail, his guilt must be proven.
"...He knows that as a matter of law, you cannot [make such comments about] Ken Ofori-Atta when the man is not here to defend himself. You cannot make serious allegations against him," he stressed.
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The Minority Leader further, accused Ayariga of deflecting from pressing economic issues such as job creation to instead attack the former minister.
"Mr Speaker, please and please again to the Majority Leader, if he has no answer to the struggling economy, we talking about, as well as, the jobs that they have failed to create. He should [hold his fire]. He should answer those specific questions and stop the blame game and stop making people the target. He is not here to answer," Afenyo-Markin reiterated.
Afenyo-Markin also challenged Ayariga to pursue legal channels if he believed wrongdoing had occurred, insisting that if the majority caucus has issues, they should take it to court.
"As for Ken Ofori-Atta, if you think that you have all your evidence and you have evidence of anything done, the court is yours. You have control of the court. Go ahead. Who has stopped you?
"...But don't use this parliament to launch an attack on Ken Ofori-Atta. He came to serve; if you have any issues with his service deal with it enough!" Afenyo-Markin declared.
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Watch video of exchanges from approximately 5hrs, 2mins to 5hrs:11mins
VKB/VPO
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