The Chairman of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Eric Afful, has defended the Majority’s decision to proceed with a closed-door sitting during the appearance of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor, Dr. Johnson Asiama, insisting that the decision followed parliamentary procedure.

His comments come after the Minority Caucus walked out of Parliament on Wednesday following the decision by the Majority not to allow media coverage of the BoG Governor’s responses to urgent questions before the House.

According to the Amenfi West Member of Parliament, the usual practice is for the Committee of the Whole, made up of all Members of Parliament and leadership, to meet and decide whether proceedings involving such matters should be opened to the media.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Afful said the Minority was expected to participate in the discussion before the final decision was taken.

“What we usually do is the Committee of the Whole. All the MPs and leadership will meet, and then we decide whether or not the media coverage should be allowed,” he explained.

He said the Minority’s decision to leave the chamber after the gallery was cleared did not prevent the Majority from reaching a decision.

“The Minority was supposed to be there for us to take that decision, but when we cleared the gallery, the Minority walked out,” he stated.

“That did not mean the Majority could not take a decision. We took the decision that the media would not be present,” he added.

The decision to restrict media access during the BoG Governor’s appearance sparked debate among lawmakers and members of the public, with the Minority accusing the Majority of preventing transparency and limiting public scrutiny.

However, Mr. Afful maintained that Parliament acted within its rules and that the decision was not intended to conceal information from Ghanaians.

He earlier reiterated that the Bank of Ghana remains an independent institution and stressed the need for accountability while respecting its legal framework.