Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Dzifa Gomashie, has condemned Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s verbal attack on the female Clerk of the Appointments Committee, describing it as an intolerable act of intimidation.
Testifying before the special committee set up by Speaker Alban Bagbin to probe last week’s parliamentary chaos, Mrs. Gomashie recounted the distressing moment when Mr. Afenyo-Markin hurled harsh words at the Clerk, leaving her unable to respond.
The minister, who was present during the Appointments Committee sitting, said she was deeply troubled by the way the Clerk was treated.
“I’m a Member of Parliament and blessed to be the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts. I am standing on the shoulders of all the women who have fought… to dare to be who I am today.
“And it was hard for me to watch another woman, who had also worked hard and was here in her capacity as a representative of Parliament, being virtually lynched by a man who should know better,” she told the committee.
According to Mrs. Gomashie, Mr. Afenyo-Markin kept repeating ‘I will deal with you,’ which prompted her to impulsively intervene on behalf of the Clerk.
“I impulsively just stood up to ask him, ‘What are you going to do?’ Because she couldn’t speak, I thought I had become Yaa Asantewaa for a moment and got up to ask him what he was going to do to her,” she explained.
Mrs. Gomashie acknowledged that shouting across the room was not her usual approach, but at that moment, she felt compelled to act in defense of another woman.
“I’m not sure if I would allow myself to shout across a room like that again. But on that day, it was the best I could do,” she stated.
Her testimony adds to the growing pressure on Mr. Afenyo-Markin, who has since apologized to the Clerk but remains under scrutiny for his actions.
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