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The Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the chaos that disrupted the ministerial vetting, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, has firmly rejected claims of bias levelled against him by the minority.
According to Bedzrah, allegations made by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, in a petition to the Speaker of Parliament—concerning breaches of impartiality and confidentiality—are entirely unfounded and do not compromise the integrity of the committee’s work.
Speaking to JoyNews’ Parliamentary Correspondent, Kwaku Asante, after the committee’s sitting on Friday, February 7, Mr. Bedzrah dismissed any notion of favouritism.
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“I’m not biased; you have all seen what we have done here, and we were surprised that they [minority] were not here,” he stated.
The controversy stems from a formal petition submitted by the minority leader requesting Mr. Bedzrah’s recusal as chair of the ad hoc committee. Mr. Afenyo-Markin raised concerns about alleged breaches of impartiality and confidentiality, arguing that they had compromised the committee’s neutrality.
He further cited multiple instances where Mr. Bedzrah allegedly made public statements that undermined the credibility of the committee’s work.
Adding to the fray, the Vice Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee and Minority MP for Asante-Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, echoed these sentiments during a press conference. He accused Mr. Bedzrah of bias and announced that the minority would not participate in the proceedings.
Mr. Bedzrah, however, expressed astonishment at the accusations, pointing out that Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi was present at the committee’s first sitting, which focused on investigating the disturbances during the ministerial vetting, and had not raised any objections at the time.
“He was here with us, so I don’t know where that accusation of bias comes from. He has to identify where I was biased,” he countered.
Addressing the petition submitted to the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Bedzrah emphasised that due process must be followed before any changes to the committee’s leadership could occur.
“The Speaker would have to admit the memo for consideration, and in the meantime, we would have to continue our work on Monday,” he affirmed.
He also noted that witnesses from the minority had been invited to testify before the committee but had failed to appear despite previous assurances.
“We are waiting for them on Monday. If they are not here, we will invoke constitutional provisions as well as the Standing Orders,” he stated firmly.
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