NPP using Appointments Committee as an arena for vendetta - Fifi Kwetey

The General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has accused the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of turning the Appointments Committee of Parliament into a forum for targeting their political enemies or detractors.

According to him, the NPP Parliamentarians on the Committee, in doing so, miss the opportunity to assess nominees' capacity to perform in their assigned roles. Instead, they show a lot of vendetta during the vetting process.

The NPP Minority, led by its leader, who is the ranking member of the Appointments Committee, has come under criticism for unnecessarily delaying some nominees. He has sometimes single-handedly spent over two hours grilling certain ministerial nominees who were a thorn in the flesh of the NPP while in power.

Speaking in an interview on TV3, Fifi Kwetey advised the NPP to refrain from such conduct, as it is not the way to revive the party after suffering a heavy defeat in the 2024 general election.

"Our friends in the NPP need to appreciate that the way to revive their fortunes is not by turning the Appointments Committee into an arena for vendetta, because that is truly what is happening now. They see this as an opportunity to use the Committee to settle scores, especially with people they perceive to have played key roles in making things difficult for them politically ahead of the election.

"This is not the first time. I personally went through the same thing in 2009 when I was nominated as Deputy Finance Minister. The NPP made it a point to make me pay for the ‘sins’ I committed by being in charge of my party's communication in the run-up to the 2008 elections. Unfortunately, that is what the NPP loves to do."

He continued: "Basically, when they lose an election, they become very angry and go after people they perceive to have been instrumental in their defeat. As a result, the vetting process is no longer about assessing people's capacity to perform. Instead, it becomes a platform for revenge—'You said this against my candidate the last time,' or 'You said something against my vice-presidential candidate.' It turns into a forum for personal vendetta rather than objective evaluation."

Fifi Kwetey expressed confidence that the strategy adopted by the NPP would be counterproductive.

"I don’t think this approach will work well for the NPP. They are desperate, and I believe the defeat has left them in shock. Instead of allowing things to unfold naturally, they are trying to force events. But trying to make the sun rise at 3 AM when it normally rises closer to 6 AM is a waste of time."

Afenyo-Markin needs to relax and stop the 'takashi'. NPP should know that the Appointments Committee is not an arena for vendetta - NDC General Secretary, Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey#TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/r8x5TK7ZKm

— #3NewsGH (@3NewsGH) February 10, 2025