Chaos As Minority Attempts To Stop Vetting of President Akufo-Addo’s Supreme Court Justice Nominees

Chaos erupted at the Appointments Committee of Parliament as the Minority attempted to halt the vetting of two individuals nominated by President Akufo-Addo for the Supreme Court.

Justice Sophia Bernasko Essah and Professor Richard Frimpong Oppong were set to answer questions regarding their eligibility for the Supreme Court on August 13.

However, even before the vetting process began, concerns were raised about the constitutionality of the appointments.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga argued that the appointments were unconstitutional.

“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.

In response, the Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, addressed the concerns raised by the NDC MP.

He emphasised that the role of the Appointments Committee is solely to consider and vet the 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.

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