The Minority in Parliament has accused the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, of bias and partisanship during the vetting of ministerial nominees.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Dr Gideon Boako, the Member of Parliament for Tano North, alleged that the Chairman’s conduct obstructed a diligent and thorough vetting process.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee was the first real obstacle to a diligent vetting of the ministerial nominees,” Dr Boako stated.
“He denied the Ghanaian people and the minority members of the committee the opportunity to conduct a thorough vetting of the nominees. He was protective of the nominees and extremely partisan.”
Dr Boako highlighted specific incidents during the proceedings, including the Chairman’s alleged shouting at committee members to suppress scrutiny.
“Members of the committee were shouted at by the Chairman. You all witnessed how the Member for Atiwa East, Abena Osei-Asare, was shouted at in an attempt to protect the nominees. The Chairman denied legitimate members of the committee the opportunity to ask relevant questions and railroaded the nominees through the process,” he added.
The Minority also defended their protest against the Chairman’s conduct, describing it as a stand for parliamentary oversight.
“It must be noted that the altercation between our side of the committee and the Chairman was a direct protest against his conduct. Under the façade of a lack of capacity, he disregarded the fact that those he bullied were members of Parliament, and that the committee is a sub-body of the House,” Dr Boako emphasised.
He called for a more transparent and impartial process to ensure nominees are properly scrutinised in the interest of accountability and democracy.
