News:
August 13, 2024
The Appointments Committee of Parliament has dismissed a motion filed by the Minority to halt the public hearing of two Supreme Court nominees, Justice Bernasko Essah and Prof. Richard Frimpong Oppong.
The nominees, selected by President Akufo-Addo, were scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
However, Minority members on the Committee objected to the process, citing unconstitutionality.
The NDC MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, led the charge, arguing that the President’s nomination lacked constitutional foundation.
“I think that we have been doing an illegal thing, an unconstitutional thing. The President has been exercising the power without any foundation in the constitution or any law that I know, and I want to raise it and have it captured, object to the nominations on the basis of the fact that it is unconstitutional.
It flies in the face of Article 128 of the Constitution, and it is not founded in Article 144 of the Constitution. It offends the discretionary power provisions of Article 296. It doesn’t satisfy the Parliament’s powers to fill in voids under Article 298 of the constitution”.
“I don’t know if you want to continue with this exercise, but to tell you the truth, we’ve been doing the wrong thing,” he said.
His argument was supported by the Deputy Minority Leader and NDC MP for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
The Majority Leader and New Patriotic Party (MP) for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, counter-argued their claim and emphasized the Appointment Committee’s role in vetting nominations made by the President.
“We are only to vet and report to the preliminary for a decision to be taken. We are not determining whether we are going to take a matter under a certificate of agency which will be determined by a committee. No, this is vetting. Madam Chair, I am ready for her to start,” he said.
The Deputy Majority Leader and NPP MP for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, who presided over the Committee in the absence of the First Deputy Speaker and NPP MP for Bekwai, Joseph Osei Owusu, suggested capturing concerns raised by the Minority members in the committee’s report for plenary consideration.
After the debate, the committee voted, resulting in a tie (7-7), thereby dismissing the motion. The committee comprised 15 members, with 7 from each side, plus the Chair.
Ghanamps.com