The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central and Chairman for the Finance Committee, Isaac Adongo, has called out the Minority Caucus for what he infers is a lack of principle on their part. Isaac Adongo has questioned why the NPP MPs failed to stick to their promise of boycotting proceedings in the chamber in solidarity with the detention of Ashanti Regional Chairman for the party Bernard Antwi Boasiako.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament during the sitting on Friday, May 30, 2025, Isaac Adongo poked fun at the Minority members for their sharp U-turn in abandoning their protest at the EOCO head office over the detention of Chairman Wontumi. The Minority MPs were present in the chamber during proceedings today.
Minority leader Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin had declared on the floor of Parliament his side will not be party to proceedings in the legislature until the bail conditions of Chairman Wontumi is varied.
Adongo accused them of failing to show solidarity with Chairman Wontumi by abandoning him, despite their earlier promise to remain at EOCO until his release.
“I think Wontumi will be very very sad that you are here talking. He was expecting you to sleep at EOCO with him, but you abandoned him to sleep there. And today, you promised the people of Ghana that you will abandon this chamber, but you are here making a lot of arguments.
“You people should tell Wontumi his people are deceiving him and he’s sleeping there alone whiles they are here arguing for more holidays. That is what they made us believe. We were surprised when they were sitting on the ground there [EOCO] but when we went there at seven, they had disappeared,” Adongo said to loud laughter from the chamber during the presentation of the business statement.
Boycott
The Minority Caucus staged a walkout in Parliament over the arrest and detention of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, by EOCO on May, 29, 2025.
Before the walkout, the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, lambasted the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for illegally detaining Chairman Wontumi, who he said is unwell.
He accused EOCO of deliberately setting an onerous bail of GH¢50 million to keep him in their custody.
He went on to demand that Wontumi be granted bail; adding that until he is released by EOCO, the Minority Caucus would be boycotting the proceedings of the House to join him at EOCO.
“If the state is minded, do your interrogation, grant him bail, self-recognisance to enable him come. Because the man is a chairman of a known political party who is always available. If, as it were, Chairman Wontumi was granted bail and he abused the terms of the bail, then you can now demand justification.
“Mr. Speaker, I must argue one more time that EOCO cannot arrogate the power of demanding justification at the inquiry level. You are doing investigation. The matter is not before a court for trial. And then you make the bail condition so onerous,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin added, “It is clear that this is being used to punish him. And I expect my colleagues in this House to put aside your partisan colours.”
After his remarks, the 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, asserted that the right place to challenge the action of EOCO was the courts.
The Minority Caucus, led by Afenyo-Markin, subsequently walked out of chamber and headed straight to the headquarters of EOCO
