The chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating the recent disturbances during a ministerial vetting session in Parliament, Emmanuel Bedzrah, has expressed surprise at the decision of the Minority Caucus to withdraw from proceedings, maintaining that the inquiry will continue as scheduled.
Speaking after Friday’s sitting, Mr. Bedzrah stressed that the committee remains committed to its mandate and will operate within constitutional provisions and parliamentary standing orders.
“We are waiting for them to testify. I have not seen any accusation on my part for being biased. I’m not biased. We all see what we’ve done here, and we have been surprised that they were not here,” he said.
His comments follow a statement from Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who indicated that members of the Minority Caucus would not participate in the committee’s work, citing concerns over alleged bias. The Minority has written to the Speaker of Parliament, requesting his ruling on the matter before deciding on its next steps.
“If the chairman still wants to proceed, we will not be part of a one-sided committee. Our members have withdrawn from proceedings because the chairman is prejudiced. He is prejudging the issue, and he is not a fair referee,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin asserted.
But Mr. Bedzrah insisted that the committee’s work must continue and urged the Minority MPs to reconsider their stance.
He issued a firm reminder that if members of the minority fail to appear on Monday, constitutional and parliamentary provisions would be invoked to ensure the investigation proceeds unhindered.
“If they are not here on Monday, we will invoke constitutional provisions as well as the standing orders,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament is yet to make a formal ruling on the Minority’s concerns.
The Special Committee was formed to investigate the chaotic scenes that erupted during the ministerial vetting process at the Appointments Committee on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
The public hearing is scheduled to continue on Monday, with additional witnesses, including Members of Parliament and the Clerk of Parliament, who was reportedly seen in video footage of the incident.
