‘Frustrated’ ministerial nominees must tone down – Kofi Bentil

Kofi Bentil, a lawyer and Vice-President of think-tank IMANI Africa has asked ministerial nominees to avoid clashing with members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee when they appear for vetting.

According to him, the need to tone down was because the members of the committee are acting on behalf of citizens. GhanaWeb monitored his comments on Joy FM’s NewsFile program which aired on Saturday, February 20, 2021.

“There were times some of them felt or sounded as if they were being harassed. As if, 'who are you to ask me that question' and they gave all kinds of answers which if you consider things in terms of the philosophy of this whole thing, those people questioning them are questioning them on behalf of citizens.

“The office of the citizen is the highest office. They are appointees,” he stressed.

Asked about how some of the questions posed were also below par, Bentil replied: “There are times when questions are wrong. I think that the whole thing is the attitude, I think that people come to the vetting looking at the persons asking the questions. They should look at the citizens behind.

He likened an appearance before the committee to a person granting an interview to a journalist and by that speaking to the whole country.

“So I think that those who present themselves for appointment must appreciate that. But that will also be proven in whether the parliamentarians reject some people or not and I think that if some of these things happen, people will sit up and appreciate this process better,” he added.