The Minority in Parliament has boycotted the vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice.
This was after the opposition lawmakers raised issues against his nomination and the processes that led to the removal of Gertrude Torkornoo as Chief Justice.
“We vote to reject the nominee, the majority can proceed with he quest, we do not intend to proceed with any question. We are, however, registering in the strongest terms that we reject the nomination, and the records should reflect that the report of this committee be a majority report,” Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said during the vetting process.
There was a heated banter between the Mahama Ayariga and Alexander Afenyo Markin, Majority and Minority leaders respectively, during the vetting of the Chief Justice nominee.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has said that his side of the house has the right to describe Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the disputed Chief Justice nominee.
“We gather to vet the disputed nominee for the office of Chief Justice. This is a case of whether Ghana’s judiciary will remain independent,” he said during the vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament. He added, “It’s the Minority’s view to describe Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as the disputed Chief Justice.”
But the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, objected to his use of a disputed nominee comment.
“I am objecting to the term dispute because there is no dispute regarding the nominee before us,” Ayariga said. He stressed, “There is no dispute about his nomination. You have no right to look into my face and refer tp him as a disputed nominee.
Chair of the committee Bernard Ahiafor asked the Minority Leader to refrain from using such descriptions.
‘Minority Leader, the speaker has dealt with this matter; refrain from the use of this description.”
The nominee appeared before the committee on Monday, November 10.