The Member of Parliament of South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, had a brief tense exchange with Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Member of Parliament of Damongo, during the vetting of Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources-designate.
Dafeamekpor, who was given the platform to make his submission during the vetting, raised an observation that visibly displeased Jinapor.
He expressed concerns about the practice of bringing in other lawmakers to represent members of the Appointments Committee in their absence, specifically accusing the Minority side of being the culprits behind such actions.
Dafeamekpor, who is also a legal practitioner, proposed to the chairman of the committee that such practices be prohibited, maintaining that absent members should not be replaced by other members from the Minority.
“I have made an observation. For instance, today, we don’t have the honorable member Appiagyei and Ranking Member Afenyo-Markin here. I see that the Minority would come and say they want somebody to replace those people. They will come before the committee…,” at which point he was quickly interrupted by another member.
Continuing his submission, he said, “Please, we were in a meeting this morning and I didn’t see you. Chairman, I think that practice must be stopped. When a member is absent, he cannot be replaced. Please…”
However, he was sharply interrupted by Samuel Abu Jinapor, the former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, who was also on the vetting committee, before he could finish his statement.
Abu Jinapor strongly opposed Dafeamekpor’s position, asking which of the rules and Standing Orders of Parliament prevents absent members of the committee from being replaced.
“Which rule is that? Chairman, do the rules allow? Which Standing Order? This committee is a committee of rules and procedures, and Parliament is also of rules and procedures. Which rule? No, no, it’s not about that. Which rules? Do you want to make your own rules?” Jinapor quizzed.
Dafeamekpor, trying to make his submission known, cautioned Jinapor saying, “Abu please, please, don’t interrupt me.”
Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor further raised his concern about how absent committee members are represented without any reasonable excuse being presented to the committee, arguing that this practice has been abused.
“Mr Chairman, with all due respect, no caucus can whimsically appear before the committee and suggest that a bonafide member is absent and therefore, a certain honorable member be used to replace that person. The only practice that we have adopted is that, because the subject matter committees are in the process of being constituted, the leadership of the caucuses are mandated to submit names of the leadership of those subject matter committees to the chair of the committee for purposes of posing questions.”
He added, “This practice where a member is absent and no excuse is given, and another person is brought to replace him is not borne out by our Standing Orders. The replacement cannot be whimsically done and it appears to be abused. Chairman, with all due respect, when a member of the other side is absent, please proceed if you have a quorum to deal with the issue.”
