
A political activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, yesterday rendered an unreserved apology to Parliament’s Appointments Committee for alleging that its chairman and members were involved in bribery.
Appearing before the Committee yesterday he admitted to authoring one of the statements circulating on social media, but denied responsibility for another.
He pledged to retract his remarks and issue a disclaimer regarding the one he did not write.
“My post was not meant to suggest that members of the Committee had solicited or accepted bribes. That was never my intention, and for any misunderstanding caused, I apologise,” he said.
Barker-Vormawor, who is also a Co-Convenor of Democracy Hub, also clarified that while he supports the ideals of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), he is not a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
His legal representative, a veteran lawyer, Nana Ato Dadzie, described Barker-Vormawor as a passionate advocate for democracy who exposes societal wrongs.
He explained that the activist’s social media posts were based on snippets of information received through personal channels, which he viewed as part of his constitutional right to free expression and whistleblowing.
The controversy started last Tuesday when the chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Mr Bernard Ahiafor, directed the Clerk to the Committee to summon the political activist to appear before the Committee yesterday, to substantiate the allegations of bribery against its members.
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.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU