We’ve no issue with CJ nominee; it’s Joewise we’re mad at – Minority

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Joseph Osei Owusu (Joewise) unilaterally ordered the announcement of the date for the vetting of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s Chief Justice nominee, Justice Anin-Yeboah, therefore, the Minority in Parliament will not be part of the vetting process, a statement issued by Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has said.

According to the Minority’s statement, while discussions on the nominee were ongoing among the Appointments Committee members, the First Deputy Speaker, who is also the MP for Bekwai, ordered the announcement of the date for the vetting exercise.

This, the Minority deemed unfit.

“The refusal of the Minority in Parliament to participate in the schedule vetting of the President’s nominee has nothing to do with the person of the nominee.

“The Minority is refusing to be part of the usual practice of Parliament in giving the public a two-week period to submit memoranda on nominees before they were vetted.

“While discussions are ongoing on the issue of the abridgment of time, the Chairman of the Appointment Committee unilaterally caused a public announcement of the proposed date of vetting without regard to the ongoing process of dialogue on the abridgment,” the statement from the Minority said.

It added: “The Minority takes the view that the public parliamentary vetting of the nominee of the high office of Chief Justice of the Republic is such an important event in our national life and should not be rushed through and done in a partisan and one-sided manner.

“The present politicization of the discussion of the scheduling and the impression created that the nominee lacks political support from one side of the house is most unfortunate and does a great disservice to the nominee.”