Ahiafor breaks silence: Deputy Speaker rejects claims of hostility toward journalist
The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, has rejected claims that he acted in a hostile manner toward a journalist during a parliamentary encounter earlier this week, describing the reports as misleading and unfair.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Mr Ahiafor said he had taken notice of publications suggesting that he had been unfriendly to a member of the press, but insisted that the accounts did not reflect the facts.
He stressed that he holds the media “in the highest regard” and has always valued the essential role journalists play in Ghana’s democratic governance.
According to him, he has consistently maintained a cordial relationship with the parliamentary press corps, granting formal and informal interviews over the years.
He explained that his concerns on the day in question were related to how the interaction was initiated, rather than the journalist involved or the media as an institution.
“Responsible journalism requires that interactions with public office holders, particularly within the precincts of Parliament, are done with courtesy, decorum and mutual respect,” he said. “It is neither out of place nor unreasonable to request a proper sit-down engagement, as has been the practice in the past.”
Mr Ahiafor added that he remained committed to ensuring that journalists had the access they needed to inform the public accurately.
He also extended an invitation to the journalist involved, TV3’s Christian Yalley, saying he was open to a private discussion “just as I have consistently done with many others, including his senior colleague and my friend, Komla Klutsey, Bismark Kweku Asante and many other media reporters.” He ended his statement with a message of goodwill in Ewe: “Mawu neyra mi adenyi gba lorlor la,” which translates as “May God bless our beloved land.”
The clarification follows a tense encounter on Tuesday, December 9, when Mr Yalley approached the Deputy Speaker for comment after chaos broke out in Parliament during heated exchanges over the declaration of the Kpandai parliamentary seat as vacant. The Minority protested the decision and massed at the centre of the chamber, halting proceedings.
In the midst of the disorder, Mr Ahiafor, who was walking with some Majority MPs and police officers, declined to grant an interview, insisting that parliamentary procedure had been breached. “You know the procedure. As a speaker, to speak, you know the procedure to follow. I am not the type that you can put a microphone in my mouth and say, ‘Honourable, Honourable.’ No. Stop this,” he said.
The incident occurred after Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga criticised what he called the Minority’s “continuous and orchestrated protest” over the Kpandai issue, accusing the caucus of attempting to derail parliamentary work. Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh Dompreh, however, countered that government business would continue to suffer until the matter was resolved.
