Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin claims that private legal practitioner Oliver Barker-Vormawor is a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Effutu Member of Parliament said that the lawyer is a member of the NDC and has accused his party’s representatives on the Vetting Committee of accepting bribes from President John Dramani Mahama’s ministerial nominees prior to their approval.
He made the remarks while responding to the over 2-hour deliberation on the allegations made by Barker-Vormawor that committee members accept bribes before approving nominees.
The lawyer alleged that NDC members of this committee have been demanding money from the nominees: ”We know, and it is a notorious fact that Oliver Barker-Vormawor is a member of the NDC tradition, and this is coming from him against the NDC members of this committee with its vicarious effects on all the members of this committee…What it means is that you have done something as he claims, but we share in that liability with you as the Minority caucus. It is in that spirit that we say that let this matter be properly resolved for all of us to have a way forward’’.
For more than two hours, Committee members have argued and deliberated on whether the House should suspend the vetting process and address the bribery allegations.
The Minority caucus has stated unequivocally that the vetting should be suspended, whereas the Majority side has asked them to allow the vetting to continue because Barker-Vormawor has been summoned to appear on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 to respond to his allegations.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Committee Richard Ahiafor has denied the allegations, saying, “I’m ever ready to submit myself to ORAL. We need to stop certain attitudes. So, therefore, I, Benarad Ahiafor, and the chairman of the committee want to place it on record that myself and the committee members don’t demand money from any nominees before vetting and approval.”
He further directed the clerk to formally invite Barker-Vormawor to appear before the committee and provide evidence to support the allegations he had made.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
