A heated exchanges erupted during the vetting process of Deputy Minister-Designate for Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, as he clashed with Afenyo-Markin, the Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament.
The bone of contention was the 24-hour economy policy, a campaign message of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that has been struggling to gain traction.
Alexander.Afenyo-Markin questioned Nyarko about the policy, prompting the latter to respond that it was “in the pipeline.”
However, Afenyo-Markin was not satisfied with the answer, pointing out that there was a difference between campaign rhetoric and actual policy implementation.
“Can I finish with respect?” he asked. “There’s a difference between a campaign talk when you’re on the rally, 24-hour economy, 24-hour economy, you know, saying that people will be weeding at night, going to their farm in the night. This is Parliament. Don’t try.”
Thomas Ampem Nyarko attempted to clarify the policy, stating that it was “in the process” and that it envisioned benefits for those who enrolled in it, including reduced time of use.
However, Afenyo-Markin was unimpressed, asking if the policy was now being enacted.
The 24-hour economy policy was first announced by former President John Dramani Mahama in 2023, as part of the NDC’s campaign promises.
The policy aims to create a 24-hour economy with three work shifts to optimize job creation and productivity.
However, its implementation has been slow, and the NDC has struggled to explain how it will work in practice.
In a separate incident, Thomas Ampem Nyarko made a lighthearted remark about Afenyo-Markin’s anticipated arrival, joking that he wanted to “hurry up” before the Ranking Member joined the proceedings.
The comment drew laughter from the panel members, momentarily easing the tension.