By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Feb 06, GNA – The Parliamentary ad-hoc committee investigating the vetting chaos that transpired at the Appointments Committee will resume its public hearing on Friday, February 7, 2025.
This comes after the abrupt suspension of proceedings during its public hearing on Wednesday, February 5 at Parliament House, Accra.
Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps on Thursday, Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Chairman of the committee, said the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, had directed the committee to continue its work.
“The Speaker has given us a ten-day ultimatum to finish our work. We will resume at 1000 hours at the Committee Room 1 and 2 in Parliament house to continue our work.
The Committee’s hearing was initially suspended due to an alleged directive from the Clerk to Parliament, which was later clarified as not being authorised by the Speaker.
Mr Bedzrah confirmed that the Speaker had now given the green light for the Committee to proceed with its investigation.
Confusion rocked Parliament’s Appointments Committee sitting Thursday night, when members of the Minority and Majority caucuses clashed over the vetting of Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health -designate and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, designated for Foreign Affairs.
The disagreement began after 2200 hours when the vetting of the nominee for Transport, Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, had been concluded.
The Majority Caucus decided to vet two more ministerial nominees that night after having already vetted five others.
The Minority group on the Committee, however, proposed rescheduling the vetting to Friday, January 31, saying it was too late.
The Majority rejected that suggestion, insisting that the vetting should continue as scheduled.
It accused the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Afenyo Markin, (Ranking Member on the Committee), of spending more time on nominees, hence, the delay.
The situation escalated into chaos, disrupting the session as tables were broken and microphones destroyed in a tussle between some committee members.
In response, the Majority Leader, Mr Mahama Ayariga, intervened and apologised for the unfortunate incident, suspending the vetting, and rescheduling it to Friday, January 31.
The clash between the two causes brought the Committee’s work to a standstill, with both sides refusing to back down from their positions.
Earlier Thursday morning, the two sides reached an agreement to vet three nominees, but the Majority later attempted to push for additional nominees without proper consensus, hence the disruption in the vetting process, he said.
Mr Bagbin in his formal communication to MPs on the Floor of the House on Friday, January 31, 2025, suspended four MPs involved in the clashes for two weeks.
The suspended MPs which MPs, included Majority Chief Whip, Mr Rockson-Nelson Este Dafeamekpor and Minority Chief Whip Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, were barred from participating in parliamentary sittings and activities during this period.
A seven-member committee, chaired by Mr Bedzrah, an NDC MP for Ho West was established by the Speaker to investigate the incidents in detail.
GNA