Minority’s press conference hypocritical — Bedzrah

The Chairman of the Special Committee probing the disturbance at the Appointments Committee, Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah, has described the press conference held by the Minority asking for his removal as an act of hypocrisy. 

He indicated that both members of the Minority and the Majority on the seven-member ad-hoc committee constituted by the Speaker of Parliament to investigate the chaos at the vetting two weeks ago agreed to be at the committee with Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim Central joining them at the first sitting.

“That shows the hypocrisy of our colleagues because if Honourable Abena Osei Asare was with us yesterday and today they are singing different tunes, the best judges are Ghanaians.

“If you give us all the assurance that you will be here today and you hold a press conference saying something else, how best do I describe you?

Yesterday, he called me that he would not be able to make it and all of a sudden you hold a press conference that I have been biased,” Mr Bedzrah said.  

Speaking to the press following the committee sitting at Parliament in Accra last Friday, the MP for Ho West rejected the claims by the Minority that he was exhibiting partiality at the committee and defended the work the Majority side on the committee had done.

“I don’t know where the accusation of bias is coming from. Maybe they have to identify where I was biased.

The Speaker would have to admit the memo written to him, but we will continue with our work on Monday. 

“On Wednesday, one of them was coming until she sent us a text message that she was no longer coming.

Yesterday, Abena Osei Asare was with us at the meeting and we all agreed.

So, we are surprised that she wasn’t here today. We will continue our work until the Speaker says otherwise,” he said.

Background

Mr Bedzrah’s response comes at the back of a press conference held by the MP for Asante Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, calling for the removal of the chairman. 

Mr Antwi in his press conference accused the chairman of prejudicing and, therefore, lacked the integrity to lead the committee as its chair.

He also accused the chairman of the committee of being biased towards the Minority; hence, his call for the removal of the MP for Ho West, Mr Bedzrah as the Chairman of the Committee. 

Decision

The Chairman of the Committee indicated that the Committee would continue its work as they have the numbers to form a quorum and also take decisions and would not be perturbed by the refusal of the Minority to join the committee.  

“We are a seven-member committee and five of us are here; two absentees do not mean anything. We have numbers to form a quorum and conduct business and we have numbers to take decisions and we will continue to take decisions,” he said.

The lawmaker said members of the minority are expected to also appear before the committee to testify about the incident, which took place at the vetting.

He added that members of the committee may resort to showing the video evidence of the role members of the Minority expected to appear before the committee during the chaos to the public, should they refuse to attend to the committee to take a decision.