The approval of the last batch of Deputy Ministers-designate witnessed a hostile attitude in Parliament yesterday, when the Minority members of the Appointments Committee walked out of the Chamber.
The batch of four included the Deputy Minister-designate for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Deputy Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Deputy Minister-designate for Sanitation and Water Resources, Isahaku Amidu Chinnia, and Deputy Attorney General-designate, Diana Asonaba Dapaah.
The Minority cited the Green Ghana Day project as their basis for not taking part in the vetting of the nominees, and the reason why they didn’t take part in their approval.
But the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, indicated that the vetting programme of the Appointments Committee predated that of the Green Ghana project, so they couldn’t have just cancelled it.
“The Appointments Committee of Parliament has a programme and a schedule which predated the Green Ghana Day project.
“So, therefore, every serious minded member of the Committee will be bound by the programme (vetting) which predated the programme (Green Ghana), and what we were going to do will take precedence over any other thing. That is very, very fundamental.”
Mr Atta Akyea said the MPs could have delegated their duties to the chairmen of their constituencies to stand in and do the planting, because there was an assignment which predated the Green Ghana project.
He said Parliamentary duties cannot come to a halt because of other things.
He further said the decision of the Minority members, not to come for the vetting, was their own bluff and they should not be applauded for that.
He also indicated that the Minority could have also subjected the decision taken by the rest of the Committee on the nominees to article 92 of the Constitution, which was the fundamental qualification for one becoming a minister.
He said the vetting was not just about congregating at a place, but can also be done through article 92.
But Mr Suhuyini, Member of the Committee and MP for Tamale North, indicated that the majority’s decision to vet and approve the four was born out of insincerity and disrespect to both the Office of the Speaker of Parliament and the minority.
He indicated that the Speaker had clearly directed all MPs to travel to their constituencies to help make the Green Ghana project a success.
He said committees in Parliament work at the pleasure of the Speaker, so it was important to adhere to his rules.
He added that all the minority did was to obey the Speaker.
He further stated that their leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, had requested that the vetting be postponed even if it meant the Committee vetted five nominees instead of the usual four in subsequent vettings.
Mr Suhuyini said this suggestion was a reasonable one but unfortunately the chairman of the Committee disregarded it and went on to vet the nominees.
He stated they are of the hope that the Speaker will request the committee to revert the nominees if possible for the House to consider.
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