Clerk to Parliament’s Appointments Committee reveals why she left chaotic vetting session
The Clerk to Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Gifty Jiagge-Gobah, has disclosed that she exited a tense committee session on Thursday, January 30, 2025, following an order from her husband.
The session, which saw sharp disagreements between the Majority and Minority sides was characterised by intense verbal and physical exchanges.
Appearing before the Special Committee established by Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Mrs Jiagge-Gobah recounted the pressure she faced during the proceedings.
She revealed that the Majority members urged her to administer the oath to the health minister-designate, while the Minority strongly resisted the move.
“They [Majority] kept screaming at me that I should let the nominee take the oath. The minority leader was also screaming at me [the video is there to prove everything]. So, at a point, I got hot so I started fanning myself and I took a seat.
“At the tail end when the majority leader was trying to engage both sides, I got three calls and a message from my dear husband instructing me to leave the premises immediately; that order I took and I left. I exited through another door and went to stand in front of the clerk’s office,” she stated.
Watch the video below;
The Clerk to the Vetting and Appointments Committee of Parliament, Gifty Jiagge-Gobah, stated that she was waiting for the Clerk of Parliament to authorize her to administer the oath to the Health Minister-designate, Mintah Akandoh.
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) February 5, 2025
She explained that while the Majority was… pic.twitter.com/PL4ZtXNiFb
Minority leader apologises
Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, late on Tuesday, February 4, rendered an apology to Gifty Jiagge-Gobah following his outburst during the vetting session.
Gifty Jiagge-Gobah: Afenyo-Markin apologises to Clerk of Appointments Committee
Afenyo-Markin had accused the Clerk of bias and procedural lapses, prompting calls from the Minority for her resignation over alleged unprofessional conduct. Opposition MPs, led by the Minority Leader, argued that she exhibited partiality towards the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), thereby compromising the neutrality of the process.
However, during a parliamentary sitting on Tuesday, Adaklu MP and Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, called for an apology, prompting Afenyo-Markin to express regret for his actions.
He admitted that frustration led to an unprofessional reaction and stressed the need for decorum in parliamentary proceedings.