Former Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, has expressed concern over the ongoing vetting of ministerial nominees, stating that many Ghanaians, including senior citizens, are unhappy with the way parliamentary proceedings are being handled.
According to him, incidents of violence and physical confrontations during parliamentary sessions have left many citizens disillusioned.
Speaking in response to a recent altercation during the vetting process, he described the incident as “unfortunate and un-parliamentary.”
“Yesterday, I received calls and messages from senior citizens asking, ‘Is this the Parliament you people left for the country?’ This clearly shows that things are not going right in the House,” he lamented.
Kyei Mensah-Bonsu blamed the chairman of the vetting committee for poor coordination, arguing that decisions should be made with consensus.
“Why should the committee agree to vet three nominees in a day, only for the chairman to unilaterally extend the process without prior consultation?” he questioned.
He further defended the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, stating that he had done nothing wrong during the vetting process.
Kyei Mensah-Bonsu criticized the Majority side for prioritizing party interests over national scrutiny.
“The Majority always seeks to champion the interests of their party’s nominees rather than asking the relevant questions the public expects to hear. Ghanaians should not see the ranking member of the vetting committee as obstructive—he should be given more time to ask critical questions,” he argued.
He also expressed disappointment over the lack of pre-vetting consultations, stating, “These issues could have been avoided if the committee had met in chambers to agree on the vetting modalities beforehand. This has always been the norm in Parliament, so I am surprised we are seeing a different approach today.”
The former Majority Leader also questioned why some members of the vetting panel only praised nominees without posing any critical questions.
“It is unacceptable for a panel member to simply commend a nominee without asking a single relevant question. The vetting process is meant to scrutinize, not to celebrate nominees,” he stressed.
His comments add to growing public concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the parliamentary vetting process.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
