ACEPA Director Criticises Parliament’s Appointment Committee as “Theatre”

The Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman, has expressed concern over the performance of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, describing it as increasingly partisan and theatrical in recent years.

Dr. Draman’s remarks follow heated exchanges at Monday’s vetting session, including a clash between Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Committee Chairman Bernard Ahiafor, which has drawn significant public attention.

In an interview on Joy FM’s Newsnight on Tuesday, January 14, Dr. Draman criticised the committee for prioritising partisan interests over its mandate to ensure competence and accountability.

“The Appointments Committee, over the years, for me, has become, if you like, a theatre rather than a place for very sober reflections,” Dr. Draman remarked.

He noted that the committee’s primary role is to scrutinise nominees for critical leadership positions in the country.

However, he observed that its proceedings are often overshadowed by partisan disagreements, particularly between members of opposing political parties.

Dr. Draman questioned why strategic approaches to handling nominees are not developed in advance, adding that such dysfunction undermines the committee’s effectiveness.

“If the committee is really minded to do a job for this country and not just for partisan gain, why don’t they hold strategic meetings to develop clear approaches to handling nominees?” he asked.

Describing parliamentary committees as the “engine rooms” of the legislature, Dr. Draman emphasised that theatrics should have no place in the Appointments Committee. He argued that such behaviour distracts from its core responsibility of assessing nominees transparently and objectively.

“For me, I think this must stop. They need to get their act in order and put aside their partisan considerations. Their focus should be on ensuring that the nominees presented by His Excellency the President are people who can truly do the work,” he urged.