A tense but brief standoff in Parliament between Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak ended dramatically with an apology on the floor of the House and an order for the matter to be expunged from official records.

The clash was triggered by allegations made by Mr Afenyo-Markin over the Ministry of the Interior’s decision to deploy a centralised, AI-generated aptitude testing platform for recruitment into the country’s security services. The system, reportedly developed by a private firm, TribeNet, under the ministry’s supervision, was said to be managing the recruitment process.

Addressing the House earlier, the Minority Leader criticised the move, arguing that it appeared to sideline the leadership of key security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Ghana Prisons Service. He questioned why a private entity would be entrusted with what he described as a critical national assignment without broader consultation and direct involvement of service heads, warning that the approach could undermine public confidence.

The claims drew strong objection from Mr Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who rejected the allegations and called for the issue to be referred to the Privileges Committee, arguing that the remarks risked tarnishing the ministry’s reputation.

However, in a dramatic turn during proceedings, Mr Afenyo-Markin rose to apologise and requested that his comments be struck from the official parliamentary record.

Accepting the apology, the Interior Minister urged members to verify information before making public allegations that could damage reputations.

Presiding over the sitting, Speaker Bernard Ahiafor directed that the matter be expunged from Parliament’s records as though it had never occurred.