NPP MPs demand suspension of vetting of Mahama’s appointees over bribery claims

Members of the Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Appointments Committee are demanding an immediate suspension of the committee’s sitting.

The demand by the Caucus followed a directive by the Chairman of the Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, asking the secretary to the committee to issue a summons to private legal practitioner and activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, to appear before the committee on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

The chairman issued the summons in response to a social media post by the activist, in which he accused the committee members of taking bribes before approving the president's nominees.

As part of the committee's schedule for Tuesday, the Minister of Defence-designate, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, was to be vetted, followed by Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, who was to be vetted for the position of Minister of State in Charge of Special Initiatives.

The afternoon session was to feature Adjei Kenneth Gilbert, the Minister of Works, Housing, and Water Resources-designate, followed by Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, the Minister of the Greater Accra Region-designate.

The day’s proceedings were to conclude with the vetting of Charity Gardiner, the Minister of the Ahafo Region-designate, at 5:00 pm.

However, following what was revealed to be some hours spent in conclave, the committee chair, after they reconvened after midday, directed the secretary to issue a summons to Oliver Barker-Vormawor.

The chair noted that his decision was informed by a social media post made by the activist on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

In the referenced post sighted by GhanaWeb, the activist wrote, "So all the monies the ministerial appointees are being asked to pay to the Appointments Committee just to get approved, are those ones affected by ORAL?"

The chairman, while denying the claim of bribery, expressed disdain over the words of the activist and directed that he be summoned to defend the allegation.

But according to the members of the Minority Caucus, the allegation by the activist goes to the heart of the integrity of the committee members and, therefore, demands a suspension of the sitting until Barker-Vormawor is made to prove or apologise for his claims.



GA/AE