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The two nominees are Justice Sophia Rosseta Bernasko Essah, a Court of Appeal judge and Professor Richard Frimpong Oppong, an academic.
The drama unfolded as the Minority side accused the Majority side of the Committee of “illegally” convening the meeting to consider the nominees.
When the Minority members got wind of the “illegal” meeting and reported, they expressed their disgust at their opposite colleagues for inviting the nominees for vetting when the Committee was yet to reach a consensus on a day to consider the nominees.
Leading the charge, Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said their colleagues had broken the trust of the Minority by calling the meeting on their blind side and committed a “number of sins”.
“Your first sin is that you unilaterally wrote a letter to the nominees inviting them for vetting without the input of the Appointments Committee.
“Sin number two; you wrote to the nominees setting Wednesday, July 31 without our input and when we met as a Committee and agreed that we would do this vetting during the (recess), you unilaterally informed the nominees that the day has now been shifted to Tuesday July 30 (and that you’ll submit their report to the House before we adjourn).
“The NDC Minority is not against any of the two nominees in person. All that we are asking for is an opportunity to do our work well and then diligently do what the public has asked us to do. As soon as possible, let’s advertise and reschedule this,” Dr Forson said.
In his view, these sins were spites on due process and the public who should have been given the opportunity for a memoranda on the nominees.
Ranking Member on the Committee and Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, on his side said “(Vice) Chairman you have called an illegal meeting. A meeting to vet members of the apex court of our land, the Supreme Court, called at midnight can only be an illegal meeting or an ill-motivated meeting”.
The Adaklu MP said he had earlier cautioned against any attempt to rush through the process which could smear the nominees and bring their names into disrepute.
“There is no vacancy at the Supreme Court which is detrimental to the delivery of justice as we speak (so why the rush),” he asked.
He accused the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, of pulling the strings to undo earlier agreements reached by the Members of the Committee.
But Madam Patricia Appiagyei, MP for Asokwa, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of the substantive chairman and First Deputy Speaker, said the claims were unfounded and that the justices were needed to constitute the full complement of the Bench.
Her suggestion for a suspension was dismissed by the Minority who insisted on an adjournment which was done abruptly and in effect ending the planned vetting of the nominees in the time being.
