Minority Leader, Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, delivered a powerful address at the 2026 First Ordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, invoking Rule 71 of the Rules of Procedure to make a Personal Statement of Public Interest.
Speaking “for those who no longer can,” Afenyo-Markin first drew attention to the plight of Ghanaian tomato traders who were killed on Valentine’s Day in Titao, Burkina Faso, after jihadist militants attacked their truck. “They were not statistics. They were breadwinners. They deserved our protection. We owe them more than condolences,” he said.
He then turned to the recurring waves of xenophobic violence in South Africa, where Ghanaians, Nigerians, and other Africans have been targeted, displaced, and killed. While acknowledging South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Freedom Day condemnation of the attacks, Afenyo-Markin insisted that “words from a ceremonial platform do not arrest a single perpetrator.” He urged South Africa to move beyond speeches to concrete action — arrests, prosecutions, and convictions carried out without impunity or selectivity.
The Minority Leader also raised concerns about Ghana’s position as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra. He argued that it was inconsistent for Ghana to host the headquarters of Africa’s free trade dream while remaining among the majority of AU Member States that have not ratified the right of Africans to move freely across the continent.
Afenyo-Markin’s remarks, which lasted 18 minutes, underscored his call for justice, accountability, and the fulfillment of Africa’s integration agenda. “Every second was for our people. Some battles are worth fighting. Today was proof of why,” he concluded.
Leave a Reply