Drama erupted during a meeting between members of the Minority and their colleagues from the Majority in Parliament, specifically those on the Appointments Committee.
The tension arose after the Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Democratic Congress criticized the Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, for what they perceived as a covert action. He had arranged for the new Supreme Court nominees to be vetted at a time that had not been mutually agreed upon by the Committee.
In recordings obtained by GhanaWeb’s Parliamentary Correspondent, Nimatu Yakubu Atouyese, during the meeting on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, Minority members voiced their displeasure with the Majority Leader.
Mahama Ayariga, one of the MPs, was among the first to express concern, questioning the urgency of vetting the nominees.
“Leader, we had a meeting yesterday where we discussed this and agreed not to embarrass the judges. The Appointments Committee is new. There was notice given to the nominees without a meeting, and the public was informed to submit memos without a meeting.
“Yesterday, we met and wondered why there was such a rush. We have plenty of time and should approach this with care, not embarrass the judges. Then, in the middle of the night, we received WhatsApp messages summoning us as a committee to conduct these vettings,” he said.
Similarly, the Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza, called Afenyo-Markin’s move illegal, suggesting it was intended to tarnish the Supreme Court nominees’ reputations.
“I can confirm that when I arrived this morning, only GTV was present. We asked about the other parliamentary press corps but received no satisfactory response. The Minority Leader then insisted that all parliamentary press be present.
“Furthermore, chairman, you have called an illegal meeting to vet members of the Supreme Court, held at midnight, which can only be seen as an illegitimate gathering. Why would the ruling party want to vet respected individuals under such controversial circumstances?
“I emphasized that we should not involve the Supreme Court Justices in such a disreputable process because there is no urgency. There’s no vacancy causing a crisis in justice delivery.
The Majority Leader dismissed all our efforts, including those of his committee members. So, I view this meeting as an illegal assembly of a legal committee. We are not against any judges; we actually support a dignified and respectful vetting process.
The issue lies with the actions of the President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia-led Majority in parliament,” he stated.
Ato Forson, also from the Minority, expressed his dissatisfaction, listing what he termed as the “sins” committed by the Majority Leader.
“I’m truly disappointed. You have breached the trust of the NDC Minority Caucus and committed several misdeeds, which I will outline. First, you unilaterally invited the nominees for vetting without the Appointments Committee’s input.
“Second, you set the date for Wednesday the 31st without consulting us. Third, after our committee meeting where we decided to conduct the vetting before our recall, you alone informed them that the date had been moved up, intending to proceed and submit the report to the House.
This is not a Banana Republic; this is the Republic of Ghana, the Black Star of Africa, Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana. Please, do not undermine our democracy.
“At the very least, you should have allowed us time to review the nominees, ensuring the people of Ghana see us fulfilling our responsibilities. We cannot take this democracy lightly,” he asserted.
In the end, the vetting process was postponed indefinitely.
