Minority Leader and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has revealed that government representatives personally appealed to the Minority not to question Greater Accra Regional Minister-nominee, Linda Akweley Ocloo, during her vetting on January 28, 2025.
Ocloo’s vetting, which lasted less than 10 minutes without any questions from committee members, raised concerns over the lack of scrutiny. The unusually brief session has since sparked debates about the motivations behind such leniency.
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Speaking in an interview with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation on Monday, February 3, Afenyo-Markin explained that the Minority’s silence was in response to a plea from government officials, who cited Ocloo’s personal circumstances.
“They came begging that the woman could not stand the scrutiny. So we just let her go…They came begging that the person could not stand the heat. They said she is a widow and that she could not stand the scrutiny, so we let her go. After all, she qualifies under Article 78 and so we let her go,” he stated.
Article 78 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana requires ministerial nominees to be Members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as such. Since Ocloo met these criteria, the Minority opted not to challenge her appointment.
