Minority MPs walked out of Ghana's Parliament during proceedings, Wednesday, to approve four Deputy Ministers-Designate whose vetting took place without the Minority members of the Appointment Committee. 

Speaking on the floor of the House, Deputy Minority Leader, James Avedzi, who led the walk out, stated that because the NDC MPs on the Appointments Committee were not part of the vetting process of these nominees, they could not be part of their approval.

The four nominees are; Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, Deputy Minister-Designate for Local Government, Decentralization, Lariba Zuewira Abudu, a Deputy Minister-Designate for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Amidu Issahaku Chinnia Deputy Minister-Designate for Sanitation and Water Resources and Diana Asonaba Dapaah Deputy Minister-Designate for Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Department.

Mr Avedzi said that the NDC MPs on June 11, the day of the vetting, went to their constituencies on a national assignment to plant trees as part of the Green Ghana Project.

The Deputy Minority Leader explained that, “the 11th of June, which was the day these four nominees were vetted, was the day the Rt. Hon. Speaker directed all of us to go to our constituencies to take part in the tree planting exercise.”

“The Chairman of the Committee has not been fair to the Minority side of the Committee. Because the Rt. Hon. Speaker directed that we should take part in the tree planting but he organised the meeting for the vetting of these people. So, Mr Speaker, we from the Minority side will not be part of this debate.”

However, the Majority side went ahead and approved them after Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu presented his report.

Mr Osei Owusu stated that the members of the Committee present, on June 11, was sufficient for the vetting to proceed.

He added that the nominees had demonstrated they were qualified for their respective ministerial positions under the constitution.

Meanwhile, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said it is important the Speaker consults leaders before he gives directives like ordering all MPs to go plant trees and declaring June 11 a no-sitting day.

“Because the Speakers don’t run Parliament on their own, it should be very consultative. Mr Speaker, I also think that this is not a matter that should divide this house.”

“It is unfortunate that there was a mix-up in communication, if may be the Speaker had been much more consultative, we would have seen a way about it,” he added.