Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Dr Gideon Boako, MP for Tano North, claimed the chairman’s actions compromised transparency and accountability.
The vetting process involved the Finance Minister-designate, Energy Minister-designate, and Minister of Justice and Attorney-General-designate.
However, Dr Boako said the process failed to meet parliamentary standards.
He noted that committee members were not given access to the nominees’ CVs in advance, contrary to standard practice.
“When the CVs were eventually provided, the chairman refused to allow preliminary discussions on them, effectively shielding the nominees from proper scrutiny,” he stated.
The Minority also criticised the rushed schedule, which they said left no room for public input, seemingly prioritising political expediency.
While they initially cooperated to fast-track the process in the interest of national development, they expressed disappointment over the lack of adequate time for questioning.
“The Chairman of the Appointments Committee was the main obstacle to a thorough vetting process,” Dr Boako said.
“His conduct was overly protective of the nominees and highly partisan, denying Parliament and the Ghanaian people the opportunity to ensure proper oversight.”
Despite their frustrations, the Minority reaffirmed their commitment to supporting President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
However, they called for reforms to ensure future vetting processes align with parliamentary procedures and uphold transparency.
Watch the video below:
The Minority in Parliament has accused the chairman of the vetting committee of denying their members the opportunity to properly scrutinise the ministers-designate during the just ended ministerial vetting.
— B.You by Berla Mundi (@berlamundi) January 15, 2025
According to Dr. Gideon Boako, MP for Tano North, the chairman of the… pic.twitter.com/4rx1RpNNlq
