Minority demands resignation of Appointments Committee clerk over alleged bias

The Minority caucus in Parliament is demanding the immediate resignation of the Clerk of the Appointments Committee, accusing her of bias and unprofessional conduct in the vetting process.

The opposition MPs allege that the clerk has shown open allegiance to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), compromising the neutrality and fairness of proceedings.

Addressing the media, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin insisted that the clerk’s actions had undermined trust in the committee’s work.

“The clerk of the committee has made it clear that she is aligned with the NDC. We will formally write to the Clerk of Parliament to demand her removal from the Appointments Committee. She must either resign as a parliamentary staff or immediately change her approach,” he asserted.

The Minority further accused the clerk of deliberately sidelining them in key aspects of the vetting process.

They claimed that during their time in government, the same clerk ensured that the then-Minority had access to draft reports before they were signed.

However, they argue that this practice has now changed, with reports being finalised without their input.

“When we were in government, this same clerk ensured that the Minority could review reports before they were signed by the Chairperson. Today, reports are signed without our knowledge, and we only see them for the first time when they reach the floor of Parliament,” Afenyo-Markin alleged.

He further criticised what he described as deliberate attempts to obstruct the Minority’s work, citing instances where vetting schedules were allegedly published at midnight without prior notice.

The controversy adds to the rising tensions in Parliament following chaotic scenes during recent vetting sessions.

The Speaker of Parliament and the Clerk to Parliament are yet to officially respond to the Minority’s demands.