Chairman of Parliament’s Appointments Committee Richard Ahiafor has told the committee investigating the chaotic scenes during the vetting proceedings that the minority received a directive from their leader to do ‘certain things.’.
In his account before the committee, he said he was taken aback by the way the minority on the vetting committee did on the day.
He alleged that Afenyo-Markin, the minority leader, at some point was harsh against the deputy minority chief whip and used unprintable words against him.
“I heard the minority leader requesting that they should call some people into the vetting room, and in no time, I saw people walking into the room, and that very day, the minority leader was so harsh to the second deputy whip, Jerry Shaib. I intend not to repeat the words that were used against him.
“And so I realised that they were under some instruction from their leader to do certain things,” he stated.
He further claimed that the minority leader, Afenyo-Markin, ordered his members to put off all microphones, which caused a destruction in the vetting process.
“To some extent, I did not understand what they really want,” Ahiafor added.
“Before I could realise, somebody said something in Twi, and they started pulling the cables, and there was a pandemonium. The whole place became very hostile. I was so surprised by the incident of that day, and I was just sitting down looking at them,” he added.
Also appearing before the committee was Roads and Highways Minister, Governs Agbodza, who refuted claims that Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was smuggled in to be vetted.
“I know Hon. Ablakwa wanted to be vetted a week before the incident happened. They couldn’t give him the opportunity to be vetted. So, originally, Hon. Ablakwa was supposed to be vetted on Thursday, January 30, so if anybody says Hon. Ablakwa was smuggled in on Thursday, that is not true.”
“The spillover from Wednesday, January 29, 2025, where five nominees originally were scheduled to be vetted, was added to the three. We had a situation of three plus five. That decision had to be made by the committee and have some leeway.
“If anyone says we were originally to vet three, we give in and make it four, and somebody is trying to make it five; that is not entirely the situation. The situation was that the Appointments Committee elected not to vet on Wednesday, and they had made people know that there would be vetting of 8 people.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
