By Iddi Yire/Elsie Appiah-Osei, GNA
Accra, July 30, GNA-The Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday failed to reach consensus for the
vetting of the two Nominees of the President for appointment as Supreme Court Judges.
The Nominees: Justice Sophia Rosseta Bernasko Essah, a Court of Appeal Judge and Professor Richard Frimpong
Oppong, a legal academic and a fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts Sciences, were scheduled to be vetted on
Tuesday, July 30.
However, following a disagreement between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority and New Patriotic
Party (NPP) Majority Members of the Committee, Mrs Patricia Appiagyei, the Vice Chairperson of the
Appointments Committee of Parliament, who was presiding, had to suspend sitting of the Committee for further
consultations.
The Nominees, who had arrived on the Sixth Floor of the Job Six Hundred Block of Parliament for the vetting were
not admitted into the meeting due to heated arguments between the Minority and Majority Members of the
Committee.
Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority, reiterated that the Minority were not against the appointment of the two
Nominees of the Supreme Court, saying "and let me put it on record, the NDC Minority is not against any of the two
Nominees in person, all that we are asking for is an opportunity to do our work well and then diligently do what the
public has asked us to do. That is all".
He alleged that the Vice Chairman of the Committee unilaterally wrote letters to the Nominees inviting them for
vetting without the consent of the Committee, setting Wednesday, 31st July, as the day for their vetting.
"After we met as a committee and agreed that we will do this vetting before we are recalled, so that during the recall
we will take them, you (Mrs Appiagyei) unilaterally again informed them that now you have shifted the day (for the
vetting) from the 31st of July to Tuesday, (July 30).
"Madam, this is not a Banana Republic. This is the Republic of Ghana. This is the Black Star of Africa; this is
Kwame Nkrumah’s Republic of Ghana. Please, do not destroy our democracy," Dr Forson said.
“At the minimum, you must give us the opportunity to study the Nominees and the people of Ghana must see us,
that we are doing our work. We cannot joke with this democracy."
He said the Committee was supposed to advertise the Nominees for 14 days as required by law; declaring that "so,
far you have advertised for four days, even the advert, you didn't tell us that you are advertising."
Mr Mahama Ayariga, the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central and a Member of the Appointments
Committee, who was the first to raise the matter, urged the Committee to take its time and do a decent job.
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, the Minority Chief Whip and NDC MP for Adaklu, reiterated that Parliament must
not be controlled by unseen hands.
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Majority Chief Whip and NPP MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, said the two Leaders of
the Committee would meet to resolve the matter.
GNA
