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Majority Leader Alban Bagbin says he is well deserving of the pampering he got from the Appointments Committee when he appeared before it to be vetted on Wednesday, February 10. The Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister-designate told a forum organised by the Institute for Democratic Governance in collaboration with Citi fm that his long-term service in Parliament as an MP justifies such preferential reverence. Mr Bagbin was the last of four ministerial nominees vetted by the Committee on Wednesday, February 10. A member of the Vetting Committee, Samuel Atta Akyea has described Mr Bagbin�s vetting as a �mockery�. The outgoing majority leader, who is also a member of the Appointments Committee, among other minor qu3stions, was asked to verify his age, recite the national pledge and to state his preference between being a legislator and a minister. Virtually, the entire committee members joked with him over issues which Mr Atta Akyea considers inconsequential. The only question related to the nominee�s sector ministry was asked by the Chairman of the Committee, Edward Doe Adjaho. It pertained to irregular water supply. Mr Atta Akyea also attempted extracting some answers from Mr Bagbin over the controversial gratuity package for MPs but he declined any answers. As a member of the Appointments Committee, Mr Bagbin always asked difficult and tricky questions, some of which ended up causing embarrassment to some ministerial nominees. He got former Education Minister, Prof Dominic Fobih completely flushed on one such occasions when he asked the nominee to recite the national pledge. Mr Bagbin, who was one of the guests of honour at an IDEG-City FM forum on Thursday morning, put up a defense for his colleague committee members over his soft handling. ��.as the head of the family in parliament, at least my members will have to treat me with kids� gloves. It is not the same as a stranger like Hon Martin Amidu. You know by all standards, he is a stranger in the family�that is the reality of life and I think this is something that we should accept lightly. It is not an aberration of any democratic practice at all. I think we should encourage it,� he said.