Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, has defended the Minority Caucus’ decision to stage a walkout during the vetting of Chief Justice nominee Justice Baffoe-Bonnie.
The walkout, which occurred during the Appointments Committee sitting on Monday, November 10, was in protest against the removal of Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
Addressing journalists after the incident, the MP said the Minority was left with no choice after the Majority had pre-determined to resist every attempt to question the process leading to Justice Torkornoo’s removal.
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According to Anyimadu-Antwi, the Minority Leader attempted to explain the basis of their concerns, but Majority members persistently disrupted the effort.
“This morning, our leader tried to put across the narrative of what has brought us here, and you saw the interjections from the Majority. They have a preconceived mind that every letter and every word is going to be objected to,” he said.
He argued that such resistance made it impossible for the Minority to participate meaningfully in the vetting.
“We cannot hold everybody to ransom. It is the decision of the entire Minority that our point is well-made… Whatever we say, they are going to object to it, and they will not let reason prevail.”
The MP stressed that the walkout was not a personal attack on the Chief Justice nominee and that members of the Caucus have nothing against Justice Baffoe-Bonnie. “On the matter of principle, we need to attend to this. Until the pending processes before other courts are exhausted, it is not right for us to vet another Chief Justice,” he said.
Hon. Anyimadu-Antwi indicated that the Minority had already resolved to vote against the nomination on principle, and remaining in the vetting room would have served little purpose.
He said, “Since we are going to vote against the processes anyway, I don’t think we have to sit in and accommodate this give-and-take, especially when they have made up their mind.”
“If you are not careful, you might even speak against somebody. The last thing we want is something happening in this very room, where people engage in fights and whatnot.”
The Asante-Akim legislator confirmed that the Minority had earlier filed a motion challenging the process, but the Speaker rejected it. He noted that the caucus may consider further action, including possible legal steps.
He insisted that parliament must uphold transparency and accountability in appointments to the highest judicial office, stating, “He is going to be the Chief Justice of the whole nation. Whether you are NPP or NDC or minority, it is for all of us to make sure that we get the best for the country.”
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, engaged the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, in a prolonged verbal exchange over comments made in his opening remarks. The Majority Leader demanded a withdrawal of Afenyo-Markin’s reference to the nominee as a “disputed Chief Justice” and his call for the vetting to be suspended until all court cases filed by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo had been heard and resolved.
The Chairman and Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, were compelled to suspend the vetting temporarily, but when the committee reconvened to resume the process, the Minority Caucus opted to walk out.