Military personnel on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, confronted some members of Parliament’s Minority Caucus during an inspection visit to the Afari Military Hospital in the Ashanti Region, after officials questioned the delegation’s authority to enter the facility.
The MPs had visited the hospital to assess progress on the facility’s completion and commissioning, amid growing pressure over healthcare delivery challenges linked to recent disruptions at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
The visit, according to the lawmakers, was prompted by concerns over healthcare strain following the suspension of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer and a short-lived strike action by doctors at the facility.
However, tensions escalated when military personnel stationed at the Afari Military Hospital stopped the delegation, insisting they had not received prior authorization to access the premises.
A soldier was heard questioning the MPs’ presence, asking: “So, who gave you the authority to enter?”
Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore, Ayew Afriye, responded that the delegation was acting in the public interest.
“I am working for you. We are here, and we are doing what we are doing for Ghana,” he said.
The exchange grew more tense as the soldier pushed back, stating that due process had not been followed.
“You are not working for anybody. You say you are an MP, so you know the law, so why do you come here without authorisation?” the soldier said.
“Listen to me, we have leaders, and also a police station here. All I am saying is that they should have sought permission,” he added.
Explaining the purpose of the visit, Mr. Afriye defended the Minority’s action, citing urgency in the healthcare situation.
“In emergency situations where people are being turned away, and people are dying, do you want it to affect my family member before I act?” he said. “Nobody says these things are right, but they are necessary. It has become a tool for the government to act.”
The incident briefly disrupted the inspection exercise before order was restored.
The Afari Military Hospital project was formally signed in 2008 between the Government of Ghana and Euroget De-Invest as a turnkey contract.
However, physical construction at the Hospital began in March 2014 and was expected to be completed in 2017.
Many years down the line, the facility remains not fully operational despite being largely completed structurally. Commissioning has been repeatedly postponed due to final technical, legal, and funding issues.
