Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam George, says the Appointment Committee of Parliament must allocate more time for probing ministerial nominees who appear before it.

According to him, this will enable the Committee to properly scrutinise persons who have been appointed to occupy various government portfolios.

Speaking on the AM Show on Wednesday, the lawmaker noted that since time immemorial, parliamentary vettings have failed to yield maximum results due to the lack of ample time to thoroughly probe issues.

He said this leaves members of the Committee with unaddressed questions. The MP added that the situation does not augur well for the country, hence the need for more time to be allocated for vetting proceedings.

"Are we looking for speed or efficiency?", Sam George quizzed.

"We're sacrificing getting the best information from people on the altar of getting things done quickly", the MP lamented.

The lawmaker further indicated that the hurried processes must be changed to reflect best practices in other jurisdictions, where vetting takes much longer time and is more exhaustive.

Sam George made these remarks in reaction to the ongoing vetting of ministers in Parliament.

The exercise, which began on Monday has so far witnessed the scrutiny of president Akufo-Addo’s recent nominees to fill certain vacant ministerial portfolios.

At the moment, Minister for Trade and Industry-designate, Kobina Tahir Hammond and his deputy, Dr Stephen Amoah are amongst those who have faced the Appointment Committee.

The process is expected to continue today in Parliament.

In a related development, the Ningo-Prampram MP has stressed the need for Parliament an arm of government to be more effective in the discharge of its duties.

Speaking to Benjamin Akakpo on the AM Show, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmaker said even though Parliament is supposed to be a distinct organ that holds the executive accountable, it is unable to fully do so.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghanas-parliament-is-simply-an-extension-of-the-executive-sam-george/

According to him, the inability of Parliament to effectively discharge its duties is due to the situation where some members of the executive arm also happen to be Members of Parliament.

The MP therefore wants an overhaul of the system to make the legislature a more vibrant arm of government.

Meanwhile, Ghana's Parliament is marking 30 years of its existence today; celebrating three decades of parliamentary democracy.

At a short ceremony in Parliament today, leaders of both the Majority and the Minority caucuses respectively reiterated the need for a review of the 1992 Constitution to reflect the needs of modern times, as well as deepen collaboration between both caucuses.