Minister Designate for Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu says the Ministerial vetting taking place in Parliament by the Parliamentary Appointment Committee is in right direction to ascertain the calibre of ministers who are going serve the country.
He however points that inasmuch as the Ministerial vetting is important, both the committee members and the nominees should not ensure the vetting does not turn into confrontation.
Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Hon. Agyemang-Manu averred that when the vetting is reduced to aggression, it takes away the shine of helping the President and the public to know the kind persons appointed to serve in the various Ministries.
“The vetting reveals the plans of the nominees to help the President who has appointed them. The vetting also helps to bring out any hidden secrets which the President doesn’t know about the appointees”, he pointed out.
He stressed that “when everything is cleared, you can now carry out your duty without blemish. I think the vetting of ministerial appointees is in the right direction but we hope that the vetting does not result in a serious argument or misunderstanding”.
His comment is borne out of the incident which occurred during the vetting of Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo as a Senior Minister and Mr. Boakye Agyarko as Energy Minister.
Some members of the Minority on the Parliamentary Appointments Committee have described as unfortunate the behaviour put up by Hon Yaw Osafo Maafo and Mr Boakye Agyarko; eventhough the Chair of the Appointment Committee considers some of the questions asked during the vetting as irrelevant.
Senior minister-designate, Yaw Osafo Marfo, had to apologize to the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa after passing an unparliamentarily remark concerning a question he was asked.
In answering a question from the former deputy education minister regarding the Chinese New Techniques Construction Investment Company (CNTCI), the International Finance Corporation loans and the McMillan Text Book printing saga, Yaw Osafo Marfo dismissed the latter as infantile stating that: “I think you were too young at the time to read the matter.”
He latter withdrew the statement and apologized at the behest of the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joe Osei Owusu.
Also, Alhassan Suhuyini, the Tamale North lawmaker, had a heated confrontation with the Committee Chairman after he was ruled out when he asked Mr. Boakye Agyarko to clarify the circumstances surrounding his exit from the Bank of New York, where he worked for many years.
The chairman considered the question offensive to the nominee and a breach of the rules of engagement at the committee.
Watch video of the incident below...
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com
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It is ok that the nominees for the various ministerial positions are being vetted.However, it becomes or looks unpleasant when it looks as if the nominees are in court facing prosecution for committing some crime, or it looks as if some people want to get their pound of flesh. I usually enjoy listening to it; when questions are asked and nominees manage to answer them, because some of the questions can be difficult to answer, but the whole process becomes tarnished and uninteresting when it becomes confrontational.I really respect all the commitee members because of their background and the experience they have acquired in politics, and i wish the vetting will move smoothly to aviod confrontations because the whole world is watching.so far the vetting has been well conducted which makes me proud as a Ghanaian with the exception of few undesirable confrontations.
u want them to be treated like babies or what? they need to be scrutinized. govt is serious business
u think vetting is about sharing toffees to the nominees? make we hear
NDC is fulllllll of bitter, they haven't seen anything yet. When the investigation and prosecution starts, then they will see the POWER of Ghanaians.
Probably Hon Suhuyini thinks no foreigner can be a vice president of a US Bank. Well, I want to tell him that, that position is not equivalent to Deputy Managing Director of any Bank in Ghana. In fact the position is lower in rank than its counterpart in Ghana. It is instructive to note that, there is a higher position as Senior Vice President. Those positions are for the departments in which they work. Example Vice President of the Treasury Department.
It is very funny to note that Alhassan Suhuyini thought he has dosage and tough question only to look ***barred word*** i front of the committee. 1. The part that he was casting doubt on the nominee's work in the bank of New York. He said "if you indeed work at the bank" several times. As if he had evidence contrary to that effect. 2. Confusing the holdings of bank of NY in various countries. Not averting his mind to where specifically Mr. Agyarko worked in NY. 3. It was shameful and nauseating to say the least he couldn't apologise for getting it wrong with such inappropriate question. I thought as a journalist he could have asked the question in a better way than what he did! Anyway it is good to note he rendered an apology the following day. 4. I am impressed with Mr. Agyarko's outstanding performance.