Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has emphasized the need for tighter controls on questioning by ranking members.
Speaking during a special sitting to probe the chaos surrounding ministerial vetting, , he suggested that ranking members should be allocated specific time frames to pose their questions.
“We must have time frames for the ranking member to pose his questions,” he said, explaining that the current system allows for unlimited questioning, which he believes creates inefficiencies.
“When it comes to ranking members, they are given so much power to interrogate matters ad infinitum… and I think that it poses a problem,” he noted.
Dafeamekpor also raised concerns about the increasing number of non-accredited individuals gaining access to vetting rooms, urging a reduction in their presence.
“We must also insist on having a sitting number of persons to invite to support the nominees,” he argued.
“In the present system, the committee sets its own guidelines, and some nominees arrive with over a hundred supporters.”
He explained that this creates chaos, especially when unauthorized individuals filter into the proceedings, complicating the vetting process and obstructing smooth operations.
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus in Parliament boycotted the proceedings, pending the Speaker’s response to their memorandum.
A portion of their memo, which was shared with the ad-hoc committee, read, “Pursuant to this, and given the significance of the issues raised, the Minority Caucus considers it prudent to await the Speaker’s response before taking any further steps in relation to the Committee’s work.”
