Appointments Committee session stalls over procedure, mandate

Drama unfolded in Parliament yesterday as the Appointments Committee vetted three ministerial nominees for the Roads and Highways, Education and Agriculture. 

Shortly after the first nominee, Kwame Governs Agbodza, had sworn the oath at about half past 10 in the morning, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and his side clashed with the Chairman of the committee, Bernard Ahiafor, who was also supported by the Majority members on the committee.

This followed a disagreement between the Majority and Minority sides of the committee over procedural details and the actual mandate of the committee.

As the Minister designate for Roads and Highways and Member of Parliament (MP) for Adaklu waited for questions relating to his appointment, members of the committee went back and forth over aspects of the opening remarks of the committee’s Ranking Member and Minority Leader, Mr Afenyo-Markin.

The deadlock over procedures quickly deteriorated into a drawn-out discussion characterised by interruptions and harsh rebuttals which ultimately led the chairman to briefly suspend the sitting.

This frustrated observers and raised questions about the effectiveness of the committee’s chairperson.

How it started  

It all began when Mr Afenyo-Markin called into question a letter addressed to the body being copied to the Secretary to Cabinet when neither Cabinet nor its Secretary (appointed) had been duly constituted.

Among others, the Secretary oversees the announcement of nominated appointees, as required by the Constitution, he averred.

However, the Majority argued that given the institutionalised position of the Secretary to Cabinet, there was nothing wrong with the President copying that office in an official communication, stressing that there was an active secretariat of Cabinet at the Presidency currently at work.

The Minority disagreed with the assertion and challenged their colleagues on the other side to provide them with the name of the secretary to whom the letter had been copied.

This led to minutes of exchanges between the two sides, forcing the Chairman of the committee and MP for Akatsi South, who is also the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, to step in with a ruling that was in line with the Majority’s point of view. 

Chief Executives

After calm had been restored, Mr Afenyo-Markin, who was allowed to continue with his submission, expressed concerns over the removal of Chief Executive Officers of various institutions, stressing that it was unconstitutional for them to be removed solely because of a change in government, citing a Supreme Court case to buttress his point.

Again, the majority side of the committee quickly interjected on a “Point of Order and said the Minority Leader’s remarks went outside the issue before the committee, which was to vet nominees for approval and not CEOs of statutory institutions.

“The Standing Orders of Parliament make provisions for the establishment of committees, sub committees and standing committees etc. and then it provides for the scope of deliberations of committees,” the MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, said.

To buttress his position, he further cited Order 267 of the Standing Orders which spelt out that committees were only supposed to deliberate on issues for which they were established or for which the Speaker of Parliament had instructed them to do, adding; “Are we considering the nomination of or processing any chief executive before this committee?”

The MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, also urged the Chairperson of the committee to revoke Mr Afenyo-Markin’s privileges to make opening statements, asserting that it was not a rule but merely a courtesy. 

“There’s no rule of this in the house that the Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee must necessarily deliver opening remarks at all times. It is not binding. The invitation is a courtesy.

If he continues to abuse the courtesy, it has to be withdrawn,” he said. 

The South Dayi MP said the Ranking Member was aggressively abusing the courtesy in a very prolonged manner, “so I suggest that courtesy be withdrawn so we deal with the matter at hand.”

Mr Dafeamekpor further submitted that if it got to his turn to ask questions, he could frame them into the questions directed at the nominee and if the nominee was minded, he would respond. If not, he may not answer. 

Suspending sitting

After efforts to mediate and resolve the impasse proved futile, the chairman called for a brief suspension to restore calm.

He suspended proceedings for five minutes following the deadlock to allow members of the committee to engage in closed-door discussions during the break.

Calm returned shortly after they committee had resumed.