By Valentia Tetteh
The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Mr. Bernard Ahiafor, has denied claims that members of the Appointment Committee demand bribes from ministerial nominees before their vetting.
Mr. Ahiafor’s response came after activist Oliver Barker Vormawor accused the committee of soliciting bribes and challenged the chairman to submit himself to an ORAL inquiry. Addressing the committee on January 28, ahead of the vetting of Defence Minister-designate Dr. Omane Boamah, Mr. Ahiafor described the allegations as baseless and reaffirmed his commitment to transparency.
“I’m ever ready to submit myself to the ORAL investigation. We need to stop certain attitudes,” he said, adding, “I, Bernard Ahiafor, and the chairman of the committee, want to place it on record that the committee members and I don’t demand money from any nominees before vetting and approval.”
To address the allegations, Mr. Ahiafor instructed the committee clerk to formally invite Barker Vormawor to provide evidence to substantiate his claims on Wednesday, January 28, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
