Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, has sparked a fierce political debate by defending the unusually lenient vetting process for Linda Akweley Ocloo, who has been nominated as the Greater Accra Regional Minister.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on January 29, Afenyo-Markin took issue with media criticisms that accused the committee of failing to scrutinize Ocloo properly.
“This afternoon, some media houses were criticizing Parliament for not vetting, for not asking her questions,” Afenyo-Markin said, directly addressing the growing public dissatisfaction. “Our defense is that we know her as our colleague. We believe that we don’t necessarily need to take her through another grilling because we know she can deliver.”
His remarks have drawn both support and intense criticism. Many argue that Ocloo, who now faces the monumental task of addressing the region’s dire challenges—including urban congestion, housing shortages, and frequent flooding—deserved a more rigorous examination. The Greater Accra Region, despite its small land area, is the second most populous and suffers from some of the most significant infrastructure problems in the country.
Her nomination has this afternoon been approved together with Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum as Minister Designate in Charge of Special Initiatives and Kenneth Gilbert Adjei as Minister Designate for Works, Housing, and Water Resources.
Critics argue that the absence of a thorough questioning session for Ocloo raises questions about the fairness and consistency of the vetting process, especially in light of how other nominees were subjected to more extensive scrutiny.
Other nominations approved today includes the Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister designate for the North East Region, Ibrahim Tia, and the Ashanti Regional Minister-designate, Dr Frank Amoakohene.
