I was target of Minority - Okudzeto Ablakwa tells Committee

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has described the recent chaos witnessed at the Appointments Committee as a targeted effort by the Minority to delay his vetting.

He indicated that he had received invitation from the Clerk to the Appointments Committee to appear before the committee for his vetting on Thursday, January 30, 2025, but faced hostility from the Minority immediately he entered the vetting room.

Mr Ablakwa, who appeared before the ad hoc committee constituted by the Speaker to investigate the chaos in Parliament, explained that based on the schedule given him by the Clerk of Parliament, he was supposed to be vetted as the fifth nominee after lunch, out the eight nominees scheduled for that day.

He, however, recounted that it was later overturned with some nominees who were originally scheduled to be vetted after him being vetted before him without any notice to him. 

Target of Minority

“As soon as I entered, I was greeted with hostilities. It was clear to me that I was the target; they did not want to have me vetted that day.

“If you look at the schedule advertised and published, you had some of the persons here who were even taken ahead of me.

For example, the Honourable Joseph Bukari Nikpe was to have come after me on the schedule that the appointments committee published.

“They did not have any difficulty bringing him ahead of my vetting. Nobody gave me any information.

“Even the Honourable Akandoh who was about to be sworn in before me, the schedule that I was given, you had him confirm that he was to come the next day, that's Friday 31st January, but they called him that he could come ahead and he has just confirmed that,” he said.

He alleged that, if he had not entered the vetting room prior to the swearing-in of the Minster-designate for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, “he'd have had a smooth vetting like Honourable Nikpe was, but they felt that once I have entered and I'm in queue, as soon as they finish with Honourable Akandoh, I would then take my seat”.

Image of Parliament, recommendation

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Member of Parliament for North Tongu said the incident had dented the image of Parliament and brought it into disrepute.

The legislator described the disturbance as uncalled for and embarrassing, especially as there were traditional leaders and the world watching proceedings and seeing MPs engage in dishonourable conduct.

Mr Ablakwa called on the Committee to, as part of its recommendation, limit the length of time given to the ranking member on the Appointments Committee to ensure a smooth vetting process.

He added that the unfettered time given to the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on the committee coupled with him targeting nominees like himself and the Minister of Communications, Sam George, prior to their vetting contributed to the chaos.

“Moving forward, one of the recommendations should be that there should be some timelines.

Every other member has three questions with follow-ups, but if the Minority leader will not be limited in the number of questions, at least a reasonable maximum time should be allotted to him,” he said.

Settling scores

The lawmaker also lamented that the Appointments Committee had become an avenue for some MPs to settle scores with their colleagues who had been nominated to be vetted instead adducing the competence of the nominee.  

He called on the committee to also add as part of its recommendation that members stopped using the committee as the platform for settling scores and prejudicing the work of the committee.