EditorialHot!

Appointments Committee summons Oliver Barker-Vormawor over bribery allegation

The Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Mr Bernard Ahiafor, has directed the Clerk to the Committee to summon political activist and Co-Convenor of Democracy Hub, Mr Oliver Barker-Vor­mawor, to appear before the Committee today, to substantiate allegations of bribery against its members.

This follows a media statement by Mr Barker-Vormawor alleging that members of the committee, particularly the majority side, demand bribes from nominees before approving their appoint­ments.

He also claimed that such prac­tices delay the vetting process.

Addressing the matter, Mr Ahiafor described the allegations as false and damaging, stressing the need to protect the integrity of the committee.

“I, Bernard Ahiafor, chairman of the Appointments Commit­tee, want to place on record that neither myself nor any committee member demands money from nominees before vetting and approval,” he said.

The chairman assured his readiness to be investigated by any relevant authority and further stressed the importance of ad­dressing the allegations promptly.

“I am directing the Clerk to the Committee to invite Mr Bark­er-Vormawor to appear tomorrow to provide evidence to back his claims, or we will apply the neces­sary law,” Mr Ahiafor added.

The Minority members of the committee supported the decision and suggested the suspension of the vetting process until the matter is resolved.

According to Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the accusations had undermined the credibility of the committee.

“Until we clear our names, we have no business vetting. We facilitated vetting even on days we were not supposed to, to speed up the process. Now, we must protect our integrity,” he added.

Despite concerns about the impact of the suspension on nominees, the committee agreed to prioritise addressing the alle­gations.

The chairman warned that failure by Mr Barker-Vormawor to provide evidence would compel the committee to invoke its pow­ers to address the matter with all the seriousness it deserves.

The scheduled meeting is expected to determine the next steps in the committee’s effort to safeguard its reputation while en­suring the vetting process remains transparent and credible.

Meanwhile the committee, following extensive deliberations outside the main sitting, reached a consensus to proceed with the vetting process.

This decision comes despite earlier calls by the Minority members of the committee to suspend the exercise pending further clarification or action on the bribery allegations by Mr Barker-Vormawor.

 BY RAISSA SAMBOU

Show More
Back to top button