The fight was needless and uncalled for – Bernard Ahiafor

The tension surrounding the vetting of ministerial nominees reached a boiling point on Thursday, January 30, as members of Parliament clashed ahead of the scheduled appearances of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.

The incident, which erupted between the Minority and Majority caucuses, has sparked widespread debate over the conduct of lawmakers and the appropriateness of late-night vetting sessions.

Addressing the controversy in an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV, Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, strongly condemned the altercation, describing it as unnecessary and avoidable.

“Whatever happened, I apologised the following day to Ghanaians, but it was needless, it was uncalled for,” he stated, emphasizing that such confrontations only serve to undermine the integrity of Parliament.

He also dismissed concerns about vetting nominees late into the night, noting that extended sessions are not a new phenomenon in Ghana’s parliamentary history.

“This is not the first time that Parliament would be vetting nominees deep into the night, sometimes we close after 12am, and after 1am. We have experienced that in this particular country,” Ahiafor pointed out.

Expressing frustration over the narrative that January 30 marked an unusual deviation from standard parliamentary procedures, he stated:

“So, why are we creating this impression as if that Thursday [January 30] was the day that we were going to vet nominees beyond 8pm? So it was plainly uncalled for.”

Ahiafor also rejected suggestions that he should have actively intervened in the altercation, questioning why he was expected to participate in or separate the fight.

“Why am I expected by Ghanaians to take part in the fight? I don’t see the need for the fight in the first place, let alone talk about separating,” he asserted.

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