Minority members will not be intimidated – Oforikrom MP on chaos during vetting of ministerial nominees

Member of Parliament for Oforikrom Constituency, Michael Akwasi Aidoo has pushed back against what he describes as intimidation tactics by the NDC members on the Appointments Committee.
His comment comes after the chaotic scenes that erupted during the vetting session on January 30.
Speaking to Tv3 news after vetting of Minister of Health-designate on January 31, he defended the Minority members’ decision to protest the kind of treatment meted out to them.
He insisted that nothing would stop them from asking the “necessary questions” during the vetting process.
“You are aware that some of the nominees, we don’t even ask them questions. Where we have to ask the relevant questions, we ask. Nothing will stop us from asking the necessary questions,” he stated.
He accused the Majority of attempting to intimidate the Minority, stating, “NDC is always out to intimidate people. Always bullying. They can call us a micro-minority. They can say whatever they want to say. We’ve been cooperating with them.”
Mr Aidoo said it was wrong for the Majority members to add nominees for vetting after an agreement has been reached and called for adherence to the rules of the House.
According to the Oforikrom MP, an agreement had been reached to vet three nominees, but the Minority later attempted to push for additional nominees without proper consensus.
“Today, we agreed to do three. The Committee is on a partisan track. Indeed, the Clerk is a typical NDC. She agrees with them and then informs people to come,” he said.
He was not happy with the Majority for unilaterally making changes to the agreed vetting schedule, explaining that “all the practices have always been that the chairman and ranking member would agree as to who and who will come.
By Benjamin Aidoo