Chairman of the Parliament’s Appointments Committee who doubles as the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, has accused the Minority of using the vetting of ministerial nominees to settle political scores.
Speaking on the issue, Mr. Ahiafor stated that during the vetting of Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah for the position of Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin refused to participate in his approval process.
According to him, this was due to a statement Mr. Buah made about former President Nana Akufo-Addo during the presentation of his final State of the Nation Address.
“It is like vetting is being used by the Honourable Minority to settle scores, that is how I can see it,” Mr. Ahiafor stated. “Where was a decision taken not to approve Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah by consensus? He said when the former president, Nana Akufo-Addo, was giving his State of the Nation Address, his comment as the leader of the House denigrated the former president, as a result of which they have taken a decision not to take part in his approval. But should that be a reason?”
He further questioned the approach taken by the Minority, asking, “So are you not using the vetting process for political scoring?”
Mr. Ahiafor also expressed concerns about the nature of the objections raised against Mr. Buah, arguing that past political statements should not be grounds to determine a nominee’s competence.
“Assuming Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah had not been appointed or had not been nominated to the position of Lands and Natural Resources, where would you settle the political scores with him?” he asked. “The videos that he was bringing—if you watch all those videos, it is a political statement made by the nominees before us. So you are using the Appointments Committee to address those issues. How do those issues go a long way to establish that the person is not qualified, is not competent, to hold that particular position?”
Mr. Ahiafor’s remarks highlight the growing tensions between the Majority and Minority in Parliament, with the vetting process increasingly becoming a battleground for political disputes.