Parliament is proceeding with deliberations on the Appointments Committee’s report regarding the vetting of Supreme Court nominees, despite objections raised by the Minority.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, upheld the validity of the committee’s report after heated exchanges on the floor over procedural concerns and fairness. The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, had challenged the presentation of the report, arguing that it was not based on consensus.
According to the Effutu MP, the signatures of Minority MPs were missing in the final report and accused the Committee of sidelining their perspectives during the drafting process.
In response, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, defended the report’s integrity. He stated that the Minority’s preliminary written comments had been duly incorporated. He also revealed that Afenyo-Markin submitted a last-minute request for further revisions on the morning of the presentation — a move Ahiafor described as procedurally improper.
Speaker Bagbin, weighing in on the matter, affirmed that the report had been prepared through due process. He recalled prior consultations held in his conference room to address some of the Minority’s concerns, adding that he believed the issues had been resolved.
“We thought we had settled them. Now they are being rehashed. I don’t think that is proper,” the Speaker said. “When we are talking about a report of a committee, we are talking about the whole committee. We are not talking about individuals in certain things to suit their understanding.”
Mr. Bagbin assured the Minority that they would have ample opportunity to air any outstanding concerns during the plenary debate on the report.
“Whatever you have to say, you can say it here on the floor as part of your contributions. But the report represents the collective decision of the committee, and it is properly before the House,” he emphasised.
The debate on the Supreme Court nominees is expected to continue later today.
Click here to follow a live stream of the debate:
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
