Joe Wise is irritating me at the vetting – NDC’s Nurudeen Hamidan

The Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed dissatisfaction over actions of Member of Parliament for Bekwai and 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu  affectionately called ‘Joe Wise’ in the ongoing vetting of President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees.

Alhaji Nurudeen Hamidan, a leading member of the party speaking in an interview with Kumasi based Akoma FM accused Joe Wise of gagging the minority Members of Parliament (MP) on the Committee from asking legitimate questions.

To him, the Bekwai legislator is not allowing better scrutiny into the vetting but rather shielding the nominees.

“What irritates me is the behavior of the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, so autocratic…the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Appointment Committee should be careful because he is writing his own testimony. This is not a threat. It is just alerting him to be careful because what he is writing will go down as history”.

He added, “He is not allowing the NDC people to ask questions. He thinks those questions will make the government unpopular. Why do you prevent MPs from asking relevant questions”

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday, January 21, 2021, published a list of some 46 persons he nominated to fill various ministerial portfolios including regional ministers.

The list contained some persons who served as ministers in his first term.

So far, about eight persons have already been vetted after the process started on February 10, 2021.

Ranking Member of the Committee, Haruna Iddrisu prior to the vetting asked the public to submit any memoranda they have on the nominees as stipulated by the Constitution ahead of the vetting process.

“The Appointments Committee has met, and we are requresting for public memorandi in respect of all the president’s nominees for all the ministerial positions. We are expected to commence betting on the 10th of February. Priority will be given to some ministers, in particular Health because of the COVID situation in the country, and probably he will be the first minister to be considered by our committee followed by those other ministers of National Security and Finance. Our clerk is working to get the publication to all the media houses,” he said.