The Member of Parliament for Walewale, Dr. Tiah Kabiru Mahama, has blamed the chaos during Thursday’s ministerial vetting on the committee chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, accusing him of failing to effectively manage the proceedings.
In an interview, Dr. Mahama criticized the chairman for shifting blame onto others instead of accepting responsibility for the disorder.
He stressed that as the leader of the committee, Mr. Ahiafor should be held accountable for the confusion that ensued.
“The responsibility lies with him,” Dr. Mahama asserted. “As the committee’s leader, it is his duty to foster consensus and maintain order, not to deflect blame onto others.”
According to Dr. Mahama, the chairman’s inability to properly manage the committee’s dynamics led to the breakdown of order during the vetting, ultimately undermining the credibility of the process.
“When the chairman fails to perform his duties effectively, it affects everyone,” he noted. “It diminishes trust in the entire vetting process, and that is something we must not allow.”
Dr. Mahama also raised concerns about fairness in the committee, particularly regarding how MPs and nominees were treated.
“Nominees make comments about those not on the committee, but when an MP attempts to question a nominee on such matters, they are told the person isn’t present, so the question cannot be asked.”
Meanwhile, he noted, the Deputy Speaker permits such questions, leading to various claims being made against MPs.
He also highlighted the intervention of his colleague and minority leader, Afenyo-Markin, who stepped in to clarify that there was no intention to cause disunity among the committee.
“Afenyo Markin stood up and said, ‘We are not firing disunity,’ and he made this clear to the Chief Whip, who then communicated the decision to the members,” Mr Mahama said.
Mr Mahama emphasised the crucial need for strong leadership in Parliament to avoid such breakdowns in future.
“The failure of the chairman to take decisive action is what led to the disarray we saw,” he said, Leadership is key, and when it’s lacking, it has far-reaching consequences for the entire system.”
