The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) James Avedzi has cautioned members of the committee against disrespect, charging them to exercise “utmost decorum” during proceedings.
His admonition follows a verbal spat between him and the MP for Effutu Alexander Afenyo Markin Thursday August 17, 2017.
The Effutu MP was stopped from posing a question to a witness who appeared after Committee Chair ruled that the question was calculated to put the witness in bad light for the President to fire him.
“Honourable member I have ruled, that is enough for you. Why are you forcing your way? I said that is enough for you,” said Mr. Avedzi.
The Effutu legislator, however, did not take lightly to the chair’s ruling saying “With respect Mr. Chairman, at least you give a signal that this is your last question. If you just cut me…that is not too right then it leads to a banter.”
This is the second time this week that Afenyo Markin has clashed with the Committee Chair amid heated exchanges.
But speaking to Starr News’ Parliamentary correspondent Ibrahim Alhassan, Mr. Avedzi said he will continue to exhibit maturity and neutrality in how he presides over the committee’s work.
“So, I try as much as possible to control the committee’s meetings, the line of questioning, and then to be fair to the witnesses that are appearing before us…it is surprising that he [Afenyo Markins] is the only one who has problem with me,” he said.
According to him, he had been in the “game for a long time,” chairing the finance committee of parliament and “he Afenyo Markins is the member of that committee and I know the way he behaves.”
He said he does not take the obvious disrespect being shown to him by the member “personally” and he will try as much as possible “to ensure that whether he behaves that way or not I will continue to do my work and try to be fair to all the members.”
