A Ghanaian lawmaker has taken a swipe at members of Parliament’s Minority caucus for what he described as their premature return to the chamber just a day after walking out in protest over the detention of prominent New Patriotic Party (NPP) figure, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, better known as Chairman Wontumi.
Isaac Adongo, MP for Bolgatanga Central, questioned the sincerity of the Minority’s actions on Friday, following their Thursday demonstration at the headquarters of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra. The protest was in response to Wontumi’s continued detention over alleged financial misconduct involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank).
“Wontumi will be very sad that you are here talking,” Mr. Adongo said during a parliamentary session. “He was expecting you to sleep at EOCO with him. You abandoned him to sleep there, and you promised the people of Ghana that you had left this chamber. Yet here you are, making all kinds of arguments.”
The Minority’s protest drew considerable public attention, with dozens of MPs marching through the capital. The demonstration caused temporary traffic disruptions and attracted a significant police presence.
Chairman Wontumi, a high-profile political figure and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, was arrested on Tuesday by the Criminal Investigations Department and later transferred to EOCO custody. Though granted bail of GHS50 million on Wednesday, with two justified sureties, those conditions have yet to be met, and he remains in detention.
Despite the heavy symbolism of the protest, Minority MPs were back in Parliament the very next day. Mr. Adongo used the opportunity to deride the caucus, suggesting their protest lacked conviction.
“We were surprised when they were sitting on the ground [outside EOCO], but when we went there at 7pm, they had disappeared,” he remarked.
The political drama comes as internal tensions continue to mount. In a related development, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP’s 2024 flagbearer, is said to be personally involved in efforts to meet the bail terms for Chairman Wontumi.
As the situation unfolds, many observers are questioning whether the Minority’s show of solidarity was a genuine stand or a fleeting political gesture.
