The Majority leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has questioned the reason presented by some NDC members on the Appointments Committee for the dismissal of Fisheries Minister-designate, Mavis Hawa Koomson.
Speaking with JoyNews Parliamentary correspondent Kwesi Parker Wilson, Osei Kyei explained that the Appointments Committee could not pass judgement on Hawa Koomson regarding a shooting incident in Awutu Senya East since the matter is pending.
He said, "The matter is being investigated by the police. So what is her offence in that, what can you hold against her? Is she responsible for the investigation? She is not, so you ask the investigating authority about what is happening."
His comments follow a statement by NDC MPs on the Appointments Committee that pointed out some three nominees who had been rejected by the Committee.
The three nominees included Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Owusu Akoto Afriyie and Mavis Hawa Koomson.
Regarding the dismissal of Hawa Koomson, this section of the Committee turned down the nominee mainly for the gun-shooting incident that occurred during the registration of voters in her constituency.
Although Mrs Koomson admitted to firing warning shots in self-defence and apologized to the Committee and Ghanaians for her conduct, Deputy ranking member Muntaka Mubarak questioned the genuineness of her apology due to failure to follow up on her constituents who may have been injured or lost their property in the incident.
Nonetheless, Mr Osei Kyei who doubles as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister-designate insists that presently, no charges have been levelled against Hawa Koomson, hence cannot be dismissed based on such allegations.
"If the police are declining comments or the Attorney General’s department is saying that there is nothing before us for the time being, can anything be held against her? I don't think so,” he said.
He further stated that dismissing appointees based on issues of competence is not the best mechanism or method since "it is something that is debatable."
"You can't zero in on the competence or otherwise of the person for a particular ministry.
"This is what I think Parliament should be doing but we don't do that because of the fact that ministers who are shuffled don't come to Parliament and I thought that going forward, that should be what Parliament should be doing," he concluded.
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