Former Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has criticized President John Dramani Mahama for allegedly breaching parliamentary standing orders in the vetting of three ministerial nominees.
He accused the president of rushing the vetting process conducted by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on January 13, 2025, and stated that the exercise violated the Standing Orders that govern parliamentary procedures.
The nominees—Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (Finance), John Jinapor (Energy and Green Transition), and Dr. Dominic Ayine (Attorney General and Minister of Justice)—were vetted without adhering to the customary one- to two-week period for advertising their nominations and allowing public submissions.
Speaking in an interview with Wontumi TV, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, a former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, argued that bypassing this essential step undermined the vetting process, rendering it procedurally flawed.
He stressed that the conditions stipulated by Parliament’s rules were not met, raising questions about the validity of the vetting.
“When a president nominates someone, the Appointment Committee meets, draws a timetable, and the nomination is advertised in the newspapers. Anyone with concerns about the nominee may raise them.
“Depending on the urgency, the two-week time frame could be shortened to a week, allowing anyone with objections to submit a petition. However, none of these procedures were followed in this case. Is it the case that John Mahama wants to manipulate Parliament, which is why he’s doing this?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu expressed concerns regarding the composition of the vetting panel.
“Initially, we had a permanent Appointment Committee, just like other committees in Parliament. Now, the Appointment Committee is more fluid, but we have about nine permanent members, with others added. The current Standing Orders, under Order 217, specify who should constitute the Appointment Committee. This is why I say it is fluid.
“The chairperson, ranking member, and two other members from the relevant subject matter standing or select committees should join the Appointment Committee to consider the person nominated by the president for positions such as Chief Justice, Supreme Court judges, ministers, etc. So, those added to the Appointment Committee, for instance, from the Finance Committee, should include the chairman, the vice chairman, and two more members from the Finance Committee.
“But as we speak, the Finance Committee has not been formed. So, how did they meet to vet the nominee for the Ministry of Finance? This whole exercise is a breach of the Standing Orders. Similarly, with the Attorney General’s nominee, the required members of the committee were present, but four members from the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee were supposed to join the Appointment Committee, yet that committee has not been established. So how did they assemble to vet the nominees? The same applies to the Energy Committee.”
