Godwin Edudzi Tameklo is the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NPA

The Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has accused the Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament of using the platform to settle political scores.

Expressing his views on TV3 NewDay on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Tameklo stated that he had observed the vetting processes conducted by the committee, particularly the posture and line of questioning by Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin to some members.

He stated that his observations led him to believe that the platform was being used to settle political scores, a development he deemed as worrying.

“The approach of Afenyo-Markin, relative to questioning, is creating an impression that he is using the august platform of the Appointments Committee to settle political scores. His own conduct has betrayed that particular perception or accusation,” he said.

Citing instances to support his claims, Edudzi Tameklo specifically pointed out the disparity in the number of hours spent questioning some nominees.

He highlighted how the vetting of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs-designate, and other prominent figures in the NDC campaign, lasted for extended periods.

In contrast, he noted that some lesser-known nominees were questioned for much shorter durations, with others not being asked a single question.

“There are some MPs who were not at the forefront of the campaign and when they appear before the vetting, they spend less than 15 minutes and are gone. However, others who were at the forefront and led the campaign like Ato Forson and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa are being targeted. He is using the platform of the Appointments Committee for the sole purpose of settling scores,” he stressed.

The legal practitioner further accused Afenyo-Markin of using the vetting process to conceal unfavorable events from the former President Akufo-Addo-led government in an effort to protect the government’s reputation.

He maintained that the other irrelevant issues being addressed on the platform, which goes against its sole purpose of scrutinising nominees and assessing their expertise for the roles they have been appointed to, could undermine the credibility and integrity of the committee.

“Most importantly, he is using the platform to whitewash Akufo-Addo. Regrettably, I think that the purpose of the committee is to ensure that the persons nominated by President John Dramani Mahama for the specific ministerial appointments are suitable for the role that they have been assigned, and not for political grandstanding. It defeats the purpose of the Appointments Committee,” he stressed.

MAG/AE

Meanwhile, watch as chaos erupts at Parliament over vetting of Okudzeto Ablakwa and Mintah Akandoh

The Minority Leader, Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has claimed that members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the Parliament’s Appointments Committee ignored Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin’s order to suspend the ministerial vetting until the Appointments Committee was reconstituted.

Despite the ongoing debate over the Speaker’s directive, the majority of the Appointments Committee members continued with the vetting process, sparking backlash from the Minority.

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National Democratic Congress stalwart and former Ghana Ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr. Tony Aidoo has slammed Minority Leader and MP for Efutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, saying his deeply held belief of being gentle contradicts sharply with his aggressive actions.

According to Tony Aidoo, Afenyo-Markin’s boisterous behaviour at the Appointments Committee of Parliament is very characteristic of the New Patriotic Party breed of politicians, saying the Minority Leader is suffering a cognitive dissonance.

“Afenyo-Markin’s behaviour, excuse me to say, he is having a very tough case of cognitive dissonance”, Tony Aidoo said while contributing to a discussion of the recent happenings in parliament, particularly at the vetting of ministerial nominees at the Appointments Committee.

“Cognitive dissonance in socio-psychological terms, says that when your cognitive elements appear to conflict, you are compelled to restore consonance by either eliminating or devaluing one of the elements that you believe is busy. And that is how Afenyo-Markin has been behaving,” explained Dr. Aidoo.

First, Dr. Aidoo says he does not think Afenyo-Markin has realised yet that his party is in the minority so he maintains “a very, very” boisterous language, “and incredible enough, he will be the first to say ‘I’m a gentleman, I’m reasonable’ and that kind of thing and yet his behaviour doesn’t correspond to the rhetoric that he wants the public to hear.”

“Let me give you one historical test case involving me, JH Mensah, and Kwamena Bartels. In 2008 when Rawlings appointed me Deputy Minister of Defence, JH Mensah wrote to the then chairman of the Appointments Committee, Ken Dzirasah, that Ken Dzirasah must subpoena my personal confidential file from the University of Cape Coast.

“Ken asked him why, he said he just wants my file to be subpoenaed. He was a member of the appointment committee, he couldn’t have the decency to confront me with any allegation during my vetting session because he left and when he was going he said ‘you people go ahead and vet him, I have already voted against him.’ That’s not a honourable behaviour. You don’t know me, you wanted my personal file, it wasn’t given to you but you have made up your mind that you will vote against me. That’s not the behaviour of a parliamentarian.”

On Kwamena Bartels, Dr Tony Aidoo said the then Ablekuma North MP stood in Parliament and said he Tony Aidoo was disrespectful and that he had gone to insult then Speaker of Parliament, Justice DF Annan at the latter’s office at the Osu Castle when the man had no such office at the Castle.

He said DF Annan would later console him that while he heard the misrepresentation, as Speaker he could not take part in the debate and to cure the false accusation he Tony insulted him or even quarrelled with him.

“Now, the reason why I’m narrating this is the haughty behavioural orientation of NPP politicians, the presentation that they know everything and yet, like I said, when politicking is going on, their arguments are just sheer sophistry… escaping from the question, interposing lies to justify their actions, and passing the buck has been very characteristic of NPP politicians. They never accept that they are wrong. It’s always the other side, the other person is wrong, like Afenyo-Markin targeting the clerk of this committee, saying all kinds of things which the poor lady doesn’t have a chance on the floor or cannot take part in a debate at the appointment committee to answer. That is not the expected behaviour of a parliamentarian. You can’t do that.”

Background

The Chairman of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, has asked Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader and Ranking Member on the Committee, to render an unqualified apology to the Clerk of the committee or be referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament.

It follows Afenyo-Markin’s accusation of Gifty Jiagge-Gobah, the clerk, of being partisan and likely a contributor to the confusion that attended the committee’s sitting last Thursday, January 30, during which MPs from the Majority and Minority nearly exchanged blows.

Afenyo has repeatedly alleged that the clerk was working in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Following the altercation at the committee, the Speaker, Alban Bagbin has suspended four MPs, three from the NPP and one NDC member, as well as ordered a probe into the incident that he has described as ‘shameful’ to the image of Parliament.

The suspended MPs are Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip; Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri and Minority Chief Whip; Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, MP for Gushegu; and Jerry Ahmed Shaib, MP for Weija-Gbawe.

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