According to the residents, the Speaker disrespected their lawmaker by asking him to leave the chamber on July 22.
Dressed in red outfits and chanting war songs, the Sefwi Wiawso residents said Dr. Kwaku Afriyie has done a lot for Ghana and should not be disrespected like that. One protester stated, “Dr. Afriyie is an elderly man and even without that, he is someone who has done a lot for Ghana so he should not be disrespected like that.”
The protestors also called on Alban Bagbin to apologise to Dr. Afriyie and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, saying, “We are expecting the Speaker of Parliament to apologise to the MP for Sefwi Wiawso, President Akufo-Addo, and the people of the Western North Region.”
Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, however, has labelled the attitude of the Speaker of Parliament in sacking him from the chamber as unfair.
In an interview following the incident, Dr. Afriyie asserted, “I find it very wrong that you should tell me to leave the chamber because you are the Speaker. It doesn't mean that nobody can challenge your decisions, especially when procedurally you have given me the opportunity to talk.”
Dr. Afriyie also refuted claims that he was rude in addressing the Speaker, saying, “I wasn't rude because we are not children in the place. So I take strong exception to that. If you are a Speaker and you are telling us and directing us that we should look at too many judges and whatnot. I think that was very, very unfair, or I don't know. I'm short for words because the more even I think of it professionally, it was very, very unprofessional.”
During Monday's proceedings, Speaker Bagbin announced the nomination of new judges to the Supreme Court, urging members to consider the expectations of Ghanaians when deciding on the nominations.