[ 2021-02-18 ]

Adwoa Safo’s vetting was soft because of health considerations – Mahama Ayariga
The Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga, has defended
the Appointment Committee’s soft vetting of
Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Gender, Children and Social
Protection minister-nominee.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, he said the committee
did not stress her based on “health grounds”.

“Before she came, we discovered that she had
just delivered and so naturally, we felt that
somebody who has just delivered, maybe we should
have postponed her vetting, and we didn’t
postpone it because we just got the
information,” Mr. Ayariga explained.

He also said Adwoa Safo was a relatively “known
commodity” to the committee.

“We tend to know her track record because she
was a former member of the Appointments Committee.
She was a leader of the House immediately
preceding her most recent nomination.”

On why more questions on her previous portfolio as
Minister of State for Procurement were asked, Mr.
Ayariga suggested that she did not have much
influence in that sector.

“We realised that there was no amendment to
really bring the Procurement Authority under her
mandate. It was still under the Finance Ministry,
so it constrained us in terms of the areas of
consideration.”

Also, on Eyewitness News, the Okaikwoi Central MP,
Patrick Boamah, downplayed suggestions that the
committee treated Madam Safo with kid gloves.

Despite her vetting running under an hour, Mr.
Boamah said the quality of proceedings was more
significant than quantity.

“It is not about the duration the persons spent
with the committee. It is about the quality of
questions we subject the nominee to,” he
insisted.

He also reiterated the committee’s satisfaction
with her track record.

“We were satisfied with her performance as a
deputy leader and her ability to lead the House
when the leader of the House was not around,”
Mr. Boamah said.

Source - Citinewsroom

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