The Appointments Committee of Parliament has summoned private legal practitioner and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor to substantiate claims that committee members demand bribes to approve ministerial nominees. Barker-Vormawor is expected to appear before the committee on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
The allegations, which surfaced in a Facebook post by Barker-Vormawor, accused the committee of soliciting money from ministerial nominees to secure their approval. In his post, he wrote: “So all the monies the ministerial appointees are being asked to pay to the Appointments Committee just to get approved, are those ones not affected by ORAL? Strange Republic.”
On Tuesday, January 28, Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, strongly denied the allegations, describing them as baseless and a direct attack on the integrity of the committee. “I am therefore directing the Clerk to the Committee to invite him to appear before the committee tomorrow to substantiate his claims, or we will apply the necessary law,” Ahiafor stated during the committee’s sitting.
The controversy erupted just as the committee was set to vet Defence Minister-designate Dr. Omane Boamah. Minority members of the committee raised concerns about their reputations being tarnished by the accusations. Minority Chief Whip insisted the vetting process should be halted until the issue is addressed. “I think that we should not continue with today’s vetting. Our reputation is at stake,” he argued.
The standoff briefly stalled the vetting process, with the Minority demanding immediate action to protect the committee’s credibility. However, majority members opposed the delay, arguing that Parliament’s work must continue despite the allegations.
The incident has sparked public interest, with calls for transparency in the vetting process. Barker-Vormawor’s appearance before the committee is expected to be a pivotal moment as he will be required to present evidence to support his claims.
Chairman Ahiafor reiterated the committee’s commitment to upholding its integrity, stating, “We cannot allow unfounded accusations to undermine the work of this committee or Parliament as a whole.”
