VETTING MUST CENTRE ON ISSUES (FEB 7)

THE Appointments Committee of Parliament yesterday started the vetting of persons nominated by the President to represent him at the various ministries and in the regions. Since the announcement of the nominees was made, social commentators, a cross-section of Ghanaians and political party activists have presented memoranda on the nominees to Parliament.
The vetting exercise is a constitutional requirement, as Article 78 (1) of the 1992 Constitution mandates that “Ministers of state shall be appointed by the President, with the prior approval of Parliament, from among Members of Parliament (MPs) or persons qualified to be elected as MPs, except that the majority of ministers of state shall be appointed from among MPs.”
The responsibility imposed on Parliament by the Constitution to scrutinise the nominees of the President is enormous and the exercise is an important national assignment which requires some due diligence.
Already, many allegations have been levelled against some of the nominees, some of which undermine the integrity and reputation of such persons.
The Daily Graphic reminds all Ghanaians to desist from using the process “of prior approval” to engage in a smear campaign against the nominees who, by all calculations, are illustrious sons and daughters of the land.
The nominees, being human beings, cannot be said to be angels who cannot make mistakes. Consequently, we may not condemn those who, through their civic responsibilities, want to help the President to get the best human resource to work with. However, we are of the view that the process should in no way be allowed to become a platform to malign the personalities of those who have been so nominated.
The Daily Graphic encourages Ghanaians to play the necessary activism to enable us to get the best out of our democratic governance. The vetting process offers such an opportunity for all Ghanaians to put the searchlight on public office holders so that they will be accountable to the people and also be transparent in their duties.
We also urge members of the Appointments Committee to undertake this assignment with the necessary diligence that it deserves so that persons who are not fit to serve in public office are not let off the hook.
The Daily Graphic pleads with the nominees to be open in their responses during the vetting in order not to leave any doubts in the minds of the committee and, indeed, the President.
The President, at his inauguration, pledged to “hit the ground running” to move the country forward in the right direction and he can only do that with a team of dedicated and hardworking persons.
It is in this light that we urge all Ghanaians not to trivialise the vetting process by using the platform to engage in a smear campaign but use it to facilitate the search for efficient and effective political appointees.
It is our expectation that the vetting process will bring out the best in the nominees and convince Ghanaians that the ministers designate will help to resolve the development challenges facing the country.