The former Foreign Affairs Minister Akwasi Osei-Adjei has suggested that the vetting process should be abolished by future governments saying its a waste of time and resources of State actors and the State itself.
He observed that the vetting has been used as a conduit for embarrassing ministers-designate and that the ‘grilling’ of nominees is not relevant as many want Ghanaians to believe.
A section of the public has heavily criticised some members of the Appointments Committee of Parliament for not being up to the task of asking the right questions.
Speaking with Kwame Adinkra host of Abusua Nkommo on Abusua FM, he indicated that some of the committee members just abuse the process by hitting at ministers-designates unnecessarily.
He questioned why some committee members resurrect private dead issues which have no bearing on the position the person is assigned to.
‘Lets face fact, what is the essence of the vetting, its a waste of time, to me constitutionally, it should be abolished because I don’t see its relevance. I have been on the vetting seat on three occasions, sometimes some of the committee members ask irrelevant questions. Sometimes I ask if the questions they ask have impact on the job the person is assigned to do. I wonder if its a means to publicly ridicule people. No matter what you do to embarrass the person, the majority will definitely approve the fellow when members are asked to vote on the floor of the house. Then what was the essence of the vetting. I think all vetting should be abolished,’ he said.
He further submitted that a citizen who has issues with appointment of a minister should channel his/her grievances to the Council of State to privately discuss if to approve the nomination or otherwise.
‘People who will raise protest about nominations have to report to the Council of State so that the Council of State will do proper investigations in consultation with the President to check if the nominee is engaged in some corruption or is arrogant from school time and does not qualify for the position, or he/she cannot help push that ministry or sector forward,’ he said.
Mr Adjei opined that its not right to ask all questions but since the committee member has the immunity the nominee is forced to answer all questions even if they are irrelevant.
‘The President has the right to fire the person if he doesn’t perform, so the whole vetting process is irrelevant, I must say,’ he pointed out.
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