Members of the Minority on Parliament’s Appointment Committee say they were forced to boycott today’s vetting over the Majority’s decision to “surprise” them by holding the vetting in spite of an agreement to go on break today [Wednesday], ahead of Easter.
The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who spoke to Citi News‘ Duke Mensah-Opoku, said the majority was rushing the vetting process, and that is not helping the minority side to carry out its work diligently.
“Our leader, the Minority leader [Haruna Iddrisu] expressed concern that what has been agreed at the Business Committee meeting and at the Appointments Committee meeting was that, we take a break and we will return in May to continue with the vetting of the remaining Deputy Minister nominees.”
“What has happened is that, the Majority has sought to take us by surprise.
Remember that we had expressed concern about the way we were being treated… We were not being supported to carry out diligent work. CVs will come a night to the day and some of them will come on the day. Everything is being rushed,” he said.
Parliament is expected to go on recess by Friday, April 7, however the Appointments Committee may continue vetting the remaining 50 deputy ministerial nominees named by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
While reading Parliament’s business statement in Parliament last Friday, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, noted that the House was to rise on Friday prior to the Easter celebrations, but the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu strongly rejected the move.
Haruna Iddrisu argued that, the recess should begin today [Wednesday], adding that the Appointments Committee could submit its report of the deputy ministers it had screened within the period for Parliament’s approval, but the Majority Leader disagreed.
“If you check the publication that went out, the group that is being vetted this week, they were supposed to be vetted in May so why the rush?” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa quizzed.
Source: citifmonline
