The Member of Parliament for Walewale, Dr Tiah Kabiru Mahama, has placed the blame for the chaos during Thursday's ministerial vetting squarely on the committee chairman, Bernard Ahiafour, accusing him of failing to properly manage the proceedings.
In an interview on the JoyNews AM Show, Mr Mahama criticised the chairman for attempting to deflect blame onto others instead of acknowledging his role in the disorder.
He emphasised that as the leader of the committee, Mr Ahiafor must take full responsibility for the confusion that unfolded. "The buck should stop with him," Mr Mahama stated. "As the leader of the committee, it is his job to ensure that when there's no consensus, he brings everyone together, it is not for him to point fingers at others." Mr Mahama explained that the chairman's failure to manage the committee's dynamics led to the breakdown in order during the vetting process, ultimately undermining the credibility of the proceedings. "When the chairman fails to carry out his duties properly, it affects everyone," Mr Mahama said. "It erodes trust in the entire process, and that's something we cannot afford to let happen." The MP also raised concerns about fairness within the committee, particularly regarding how MPs and nominees were treated. "Nominees will come and say things about those not on the committee, but when an MP goes to ask nominees certain questions, they are told the person isn't here, so the question can't be put." Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker allows such questions, and people begin making all sorts of claims against those MPs, Mr Mahama explained.
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.
