The Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman, has called for a thorough investigation into the bribery allegations surrounding the Appointments Committee of Parliament. Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, January 29, Dr. Draman noted that this is not the first time such allegations have surfaced, and referenced past incidents in both the Seventh and Eighth Parliaments.
This follows Human rights activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s apology to Parliament’s Appointments Committee for accusing them of demanding money from ministerial nominees before granting their approval after being vetted. Speaking during his appearance before the committee, Mr Barker-Vormawor stated that his comments were not intended to harm the committee’s reputation.
“I want to make it clear that my post was not meant to disparage any member of the committee. I did not intend to imply that committee members received or demanded bribes from any individual. For this reason, I apologise,” he said.
However, Dr. Draman expressed disappointment that Parliament had not taken significant steps to investigate the matter, stating that such inaction could damage the institution’s credibility.
“I would have thought that, with this kind of very serious allegation, Parliament itself would take a lot of interest in making sure the matter is investigated properly and then we are given some clarity, particularly one that clears the name of Parliament and the committee. But that’s not what we have seen,” he said.
He also echoed Speaker Alban Bagbin’s recent statement that “respect is earned,” emphasising that the current controversies surrounding the Appointments Committee are unprecedented. Dr. Draman warned that failure to address these allegations could set a dangerous precedent, where future nominees might exploit the system.
“Tomorrow, somebody would say the same thing and then come before the committee and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ And people might be asking the question, was there any negotiation? Was there any discussion to sweep this under the carpet?”
He stressed that it was in the best interest of Parliament to ensure a transparent investigation, as public trust in the institution is already low. Citing Afrobarometer data and other surveys, he pointed out that MPs are frequently perceived as corrupt by the public.
“When you have this adding to that, I believe it is not doing any good to their image. So it might be in their interest to make sure that this matter is properly investigated and then their names are cleared once and for all,” he added.
Story by: Emma Ankrah, Joy News