Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has called on the Appointments Committee to uphold professionalism and adhere to established rules during public hearings, emphasizing that respect must be earned.
Speaking during a parliamentary session on January 28, Mr. Bagbin expressed concern over the committee’s conduct.
He said: “…Even members themselves don’t take them [Appointments Committee] seriously. I think we need to. But before we ask for our pound of flesh, respect is earned.”
He reminded the committee of the structured guidelines governing their work and urged them to uphold the integrity of the process.
“Please, Appointments Committee, we have crafted rules on how the Appointments Committee should conduct the business of public hearings. That is the term used—public hearing of nominees of the President. I’m not too sure there’s a reference to those rules in what I am witnessing myself.”
This follows the Appointments Committee coming under intense public criticism over the past two weeks during the vetting of President John Mahama’s ministerial nominees.
The Chairman has been accused of failing to control proceedings, allowing frequent interruptions, and undermining the efficiency of the hearings.
Speaker Bagbin revealed that he had received numerous complaints from both local and international observers regarding the committee’s conduct.
He used the opportunity to caution members, saying, “This is an opportunity for me to draw your attention to it, that please, respect is earned. How we behave or misbehave will determine how the people behave towards us or misbehave towards us.”
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