The Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, has warned Minority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin that he was lucky he did not cite him for contempt after accusing him of being whimsical and capricious during the vetting of Deputy Attorney General nominee, Dr Justice Srem-Sai.

The disagreement started when Afenyo-Markin asked the nominee to display a cultural dance from his heritage, but the chairman overruled the question. The Minority leader then accused the Chairman of being unfair and interrupting rudely.

In response, the chairman defended his actions, insisting he had every right to overrule the question.

“I take great exception to the Minority leader saying I am whimsical, capricious, and that I rudely interrupted. As Chairman of the Committee, I have the right to overrule a question especially when there is an attempt to turn the vetting committee into a dancing floor. The just thing for me to do was to overrule that particular question,” he stated.

He further reminded Afenyo-Markin that parliamentary rules require members to withdraw unparliamentary language when used in the house.“ Even in Parliament, when unparliamentary language is used, members are required to withdraw and sometimes apologise. He is even lucky I have not cited him for contempt,” he added, after Afenyo-Markin refused to render an apology to the chairman despite his insistence.

The Chairman eventually ended the vetting of the nominee.

In response to the Chairman's decision to terminate the vetting of the nominee, the Minority leader announced a rejection of the nominee's nomination and also a boycott of the rest of the day's vetting.

Nonetheless, the sitting continued with the vetting of other nominees.

Read Also: Appointments C’ttee chair abruptly terminates vetting of Deputy AG nominee