Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of IMANI Africa, has commended Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin for his dynamic approach during the vetting of ministerial and deputy ministerial nominees by Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
Cudjoe credited Afenyo-Markin with making the otherwise routine process engaging and informative, allowing the public to gain deeper insights into the nominees’ backgrounds and qualifications.
“Be honest, but for Afenyo-Markin, this whole vetting would have been boring, and we never would have known so much about the nominees,” Cudjoe wrote on Facebook. He also criticized the committee’s chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, describing him as “rigid, unprepared, and severely uninspiring.” Cudjoe suggested that former chairman Ricketts-Hagan should return to lead the committee, stating, “You don’t spoil it by bringing back the most rigid, unprepared, and severely uninspiring chairman. Sad. Bring back Ricketts-Hagan.”
Cudjoe’s comments come in the wake of a dramatic exchange during the vetting of Justice Edem Srem-Sai, the Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice nominee, on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. Afenyo-Markin, known for his probing and sometimes unconventional questions, asked Srem-Sai to demonstrate the ‘Akpi’ dance, a cultural dance from the nominee’s hometown.
However, Chairman Bernard Ahiafor overruled the request, stating that the vetting process was not a forum for cultural demonstrations. “Honourable nominee, the question is overruled. You are not going to demonstrate,” Ahiafor declared.
Afenyo-Markin responded by accusing Ahiafor of acting “whimsically and capriciously,” arguing that the chairman’s decision undermined the committee’s ability to explore the cultural backgrounds of nominees. “Chairman, if you decide to be whimsical and capricious, it will not advance the work of these proceedings. Apart from the constitutional matters involved, it is also about our culture. We’ve had nominees who have spoken their languages,” Afenyo-Markin remarked.
Ahiafor took offense at the Minority Leader’s comments and demanded an apology, but Afenyo-Markin refused to back down. “Chairman, I will not withdraw. You were whimsical and capricious in the way you overruled my question. I will not withdraw; I am sorry,” he stated firmly.
The tense exchange led Ahiafor to abruptly end the session, declaring, “Well, to demonstrate to you that I am the Chairman of this particular vetting committee, that may be your last question.” He then discharged the nominee, bringing the vetting to an unexpected conclusion.
The incident has sparked debate about the tone and conduct of the vetting process, with many praising Afenyo-Markin for his lively and insightful approach, while others have criticized the chairman for what they perceive as overly rigid and dismissive behavior. As the vetting continues, the public remains keenly interested in how the committee will balance thorough scrutiny with respect for nominees’ cultural and personal backgrounds.
