The Minority Leader in Parliament, Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has retracted his earlier allegations of irregularities in the ongoing recruitment exercise into the internal security services and tendered an unreserved apology to the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak.
The development occurred during proceedings in the House on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, following the referral of the matter to the Committee on Privileges and Immunities a day earlier.
The controversy arose from statements made by the Minority Leader after the President’s State of the Nation Address, where he described the recruitment process as “scandalous” and a “scam.”
He raised concerns over the engagement of a third-party IT firm for the online application and aptitude testing platform, alleging it imposed excessive financial burdens on applicants and suggested potential corruption or criminality involving officials.
In response, the Interior Minister lodged a formal complaint, invoking relevant Standing Orders and describing the remarks as contemptuous and misleading. The First Deputy Speaker, who presided over the sitting on Tuesday, March 3, referred the Minority Leader to the Privileges Committee for investigation.
On Wednesday, however, Afenyo-Markin rose to withdraw the claims. He stated that his concerns had been reflected upon, and he was accordingly withdrawing them.
“Mister Speaker, as colleagues, when a member feels strongly about a statement which is unintended, the right thing to do is to withdraw and apologize to him,” he said.
“Anything related to him or his ministry is withdrawn. And again, I apologies to him,” he added.
The First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, confirmed the retraction and ordered that the impugned portions of the Minority Leader’s statement be expunged from the parliamentary record “as if it does not exist.”
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, accepted the apology wholeheartedly.
He expressed pain over being wrongly accused and having his actions misconstrued as involving criminality, but emphasised humility and respect in leadership.
“It is painful to be wrongly accused or your action to be misconstrued and be labelled differently from the intention that you have, especially when it’s colluded with criminality and heavy wrongdoing,” he said.
The minister highlighted his long service in parliamentary leadership and commitment to mutual respect. He accepted the withdrawal, noting that such apologies typically end matters even before the Privileges Committee.
“Who am I to say that I’m going to play God and I will not accept it? I accept it wholeheartedly,” he added.
He prayed for continued guidance to enable himself, service commanders, and ministry staff to do the right thing, and assured the House of openness to addressing any legitimate concerns.
Muntaka further applied for his own submissions and complaint on the matter to be expunged from the record, which the Chair granted, putting the issue to rest.
The ongoing recruitment into the Ghana Police Service, Immigration Service, Fire Service, and Prisons Service continues under the oversight of the Ministry of the Interior.