Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, has addressed the controversy surrounding the handling of former Energy Minister-nominee, Boakye Agyarko, during the 7th Parliament.
In a monitored interview on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle, Ayariga dismissed claims that the incident was an attempt to undermine the then-Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.
He acknowledged that while the situation may have created the impression of tension, it was not a deliberate effort to challenge Iddrisu’s leadership.
“At that time, there were some misunderstandings regarding how we treated Hon. Agyarko when he was nominated as the minister for energy,” he stated.
He described the actions as “over-exuberant” but emphasized that apologies were rendered to mend any perceived rift.
The controversy traces back to February 2017, when Agyarko faced allegations of bribery during his ministerial confirmation process. Mahama Ayariga accused him of attempting to bribe minority members through Muntaka Mubarak, the then-Minority Chief Whip, to secure his approval.
Following the allegations, Speaker of Parliament Aaron Mike Oquaye established an ad hoc committee led by Joe Ghartey to investigate the matter. While the committee exonerated Agyarko, Ayariga was found guilty of contempt of parliament for making false allegations and bringing the institution into disrepute. He was subsequently directed to apologize on the floor of parliament.
