The vetting of Foreign Affairs Minister-nominee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday took an unexpected turn following a disagreement between Ranking Member, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and Committee Chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, over a directive from the Speaker of Parliament.
During the session which dragged into the evening, it emerged that the Speaker had reconstituted the Appointments Committee after dismissing four members, including Members of Parliament, in response to the chaotic events that unfolded during a late-night sitting on Thursday.
Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that the Speaker’s directive was sufficient grounds to suspend proceedings until a decision was made on the committee’s composition, emphasizing that the changes could affect quorum.
However, National Democratic Congress (NDC) members on the committee, Mahama Ayariga rejected this claim, maintaining that the directive had no impact on quorum.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, sided with the NDC members, adding that any Minority MPs who felt uncomfortable with the Speaker’s decision were free to leave
The Minority Leader and his team subsequently walked out on the vetting leaving the NDC MPs to proceed with the rest of the sessions.