Letter to Ghanaians: No parliamentary vetting committee

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Ama, London 7 years ago

Very articulated! Good job.

Very articulated! Good job.
Agya koo 7 years ago

Please tell us the rationale behind US Senate vetting Secretaries of state and others. We should accord our system some credibility. And stop this nonsense and too known attitude simply because we thought we have live abroad ...
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Please tell us the rationale behind US Senate vetting Secretaries of state and others. We should accord our system some credibility. And stop this nonsense and too known attitude simply because we thought we have live abroad.
John 7 years ago

I follow this writer very well. He is one of the best on this forum. He stated we cannot always copy from others. What is too know about this? If you don't like his write up allow those of us who like his write up to enjoy. Y ...
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I follow this writer very well. He is one of the best on this forum. He stated we cannot always copy from others. What is too know about this? If you don't like his write up allow those of us who like his write up to enjoy. You always change your identity to attack him but you have not made any single sense.
Amponsah Kingsley 7 years ago

Dear Agya koo or whoever your name is, what is your problem with this prolific writer? You seem to have problem with every article he puts out there by disguising yourself or hiding your real identity. But one thing you ca ...
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Dear Agya koo or whoever your name is, what is your problem with this prolific writer? You seem to have problem with every article he puts out there by disguising yourself or hiding your real identity. But one thing you cannot hide is your style of writing which makes it very obvious for any rational person with insight to discover that you are the same attacker. It is pretty obvious from your submissions that you know this writer very well and it seems to me that you are envious of his progress with regards to the knowledge and the wisdom he has been blessed with. Please refrain from this attitude and wish well for your brother. Support him to reach an admirable height so that you can also feel proud to associate with him as someone you really know. Please agya koo, this is my humble appeal to you. I pray that you may receive it in good fate and desist from what you are doing. Thank you my brother.
Asiama 7 years ago

I don't quite see the conflict of interest. Is it as a result of half the ministers coming from parliament who may (or may not) be members of the vetting committee grilling their fellow minister designates who are also member ...
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I don't quite see the conflict of interest. Is it as a result of half the ministers coming from parliament who may (or may not) be members of the vetting committee grilling their fellow minister designates who are also members of their party?

I don't think removing that particular source of "conflict of interest" will lead to the appointment of "better" ministers.

The aim of the vetting committee is really not to ensure that the best person for the ministerial job is appointed. The committee is not a CEO selecting board and cannot be expected to behave as such. The committee's job is only to ensure that there are no obvious defects in the appointee's character not to conduct a clinical personality on the appointee.

An independent vetting committee will not be proper. Ministerial appointments are partisan political affairs. Permanent independent vetting committees may be more appropriate for parastatals and state enterprises where sector specific knowledge is more important than political fidelity.

The US and UK examples are a bit far-fetched. The system we're now operating in Ghana is a poor hybrid of both systems. Looking at their vetting processes as examples of how to fashion our own may not be very rewarding.

What is more important for us now is the thourough declaration of assets of all appointees according to the demands of the constitution.
Asiama 7 years ago

should read: ... clinical personality test...

should read: ... clinical personality test...
TT 7 years ago

One example of conflict of interest is ministerial nominees on the vetting committee.

One example of conflict of interest is ministerial nominees on the vetting committee.
SON OF GOD 7 years ago

When a minister to be vetted first sits on the committee and vets others before his time, what is that. Even one said he had no questions for the nominee when asked to do so.The next time he sits and the approved minister ve ...
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When a minister to be vetted first sits on the committee and vets others before his time, what is that. Even one said he had no questions for the nominee when asked to do so.The next time he sits and the approved minister vets him, what is that. We are joking.
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Chi-Town Dude 7 years ago

Copying the vetting procedure from the west amounts to "political plagiarism" but copying/importing democracy from the west isn't? Interesting!!!

Copying the vetting procedure from the west amounts to "political plagiarism" but copying/importing democracy from the west isn't? Interesting!!!
Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK 7 years ago

The UK legislative arm of government (House of Commons and the Lords) do not vet ministerial appointees. It is entirely left to the prime minister who decides, probably in consultation with the leadership of the party, especi ...
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The UK legislative arm of government (House of Commons and the Lords) do not vet ministerial appointees. It is entirely left to the prime minister who decides, probably in consultation with the leadership of the party, especially the party chairman.

The process is very simple in the UK. The prime minister begins to form his or her government as soon as s/he returns from Buckingham Palace after receiving the Queen's blessing to form the next government. Those called to 10 Downing Street enter as MPs and leave as ministers and go straight to their respective ministerial departments whenever there is change of prime minster. The same happens when there is a reshuffle of ministers. You enter as a minister or MP and leave as minister in a different department or as no longer a minister.

There is no conflict of interest with CEOs being members of the Board that decides their remuneration because the decision is a recommendation from the Remuneration Committee of the Board and CEOs are not members of this committee. In fact, when the report of the committee is being discussed by the Board, the COEs leave the meeting. The purpose of COEs are members of the Board is mainly for accountability (reporting to the Board). Their presence on the Board is also advisory.

On the whole, I agree with you on the issues you discussed in the article. The blend of the American and the Westminster forms of government that both have bicameral systems in Ghana can sometimes be problematic.

I noticed the conflict of interest in other nominees sitting on the appointment committee during the Mills presidency. That is definitely unacceptable and should be discontinued. Scratch my back and I scratch yours vetting system is laughable and does not do the August House, the nominees and the committee members any good.
Nana Yaw Osei, USA 7 years ago

Thanks for the education on UK.

Thanks for the education on UK.
Nii Teiko 7 years ago

Besides the conflict of interest thing, I think the vetting process is very important; it helps the people to know the caliber of people chosen to work with president. For instance, the general performance of Yaw Osafo and A ...
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Besides the conflict of interest thing, I think the vetting process is very important; it helps the people to know the caliber of people chosen to work with president. For instance, the general performance of Yaw Osafo and Agyarko at vetting tells you how these two 'sharks' could be up to task in tackling issues. Allan k and skillful Ken Dapaah proved to the world, and the babies with shaaaaaap teeth on the committee, that they have the wits when it comes to governance. Yes the vehicle of our development was shifted to reverse gear from first, some four years, when Justice Atuguba's presided wasted our time for 8 month with that shoddy virdict which defiled common sense and beat all immaginations. Secondly, methinks the vetting provides a fertile grounds for the general public the education to better understand the hidden agenda, both evil or benign, on the part of the president, as to how such nominations were made. Grilling these nominees could expose the president if, say, cronyism or nepotism play role in making those choices.
Voice of Reason 7 years ago

Nana Yaw, in a nutshell, what is your point?

Nana Yaw, in a nutshell, what is your point?
Kweku 7 years ago

His problem is that he cannot write without quotations and references or some concept from psychology (which he is studying) so he makes a simple point in a very tortuous manner.

Whatever he is saying in this piece could ...
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His problem is that he cannot write without quotations and references or some concept from psychology (which he is studying) so he makes a simple point in a very tortuous manner.

Whatever he is saying in this piece could more effectively be made without the need to quote authorities. He could have pointed out the conflict of interest in the vetting process without telling us what some authority has said about conflict. But Nana Yaw cannot write without citations...
John 7 years ago

What is your problem? Allow the writer to keep his style and keep your own. I like his writings. I am a full-fledged
professional journalist and I can assure you that there is nothing wrong with his style. GJA entreats membe ...
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What is your problem? Allow the writer to keep his style and keep your own. I like his writings. I am a full-fledged
professional journalist and I can assure you that there is nothing wrong with his style. GJA entreats members to cite their sources. Before you condemn get your facts right. Big liar, He does not cite in all his articles. You keep on changing your name to attack this writer on issues you don't know. You better stop and find something useful to do. The editors at ghanaweb are professional journalists. Is he the only writer who cites on this forum. Show me the single psychology concept in this write up. He is always coherent, on point and presents solid arguments. How many times does he write on psychology? You know him and always come on destructive mission. The writer is not loose talker like you to make baseless allegations. Stop this your communist inferior tactics. Mr. Osei, Never mind this enemy of progress.
Kweku 7 years ago

Looks like you're the writer himself.

Nana Yaw doesn't always have to cite authorities to carry his points across. I always insist on that and believe he can get more people to see his point of argument if he does not ins ...
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Looks like you're the writer himself.

Nana Yaw doesn't always have to cite authorities to carry his points across. I always insist on that and believe he can get more people to see his point of argument if he does not insist on always sounding academic on ghanaweb. He should leave the academics for his purely academic papers. This is ghanaweb, not an academic seminar.

Saying you're a professional journalist doesn't cut it. Many people who write to ghanaweb are not only professional journalists but also academics. But the majority of the readership of ghanaweb are ordinary Ghanaians who just want to take part of the discussions here in a simple manner. It's very important to keep them in mind when you write for the site.

The editors on ghanaweb are NOT professional journalists and they DO NOT read the articles they post here. They don't have that time. Every writer here is his own editor. Nana Yaw has the right to his own writing style, yes, but that doesn't mean that style cannot be critiqued. He is a young man and has the capacity to learn. I defend him when anyone attacks him in a way I think is wrong. I will still insist he should cut down on his citations when he writes journalistic articles. That is different from not citing your sources...
John 7 years ago

Insisting in what capacity?Every writer has his target group. I am John in Accra a proud student of the writer. Who taught me to me get "A" in his subject at high school. Those who attack him attack some of us.I know the writ ...
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Insisting in what capacity?Every writer has his target group. I am John in Accra a proud student of the writer. Who taught me to me get "A" in his subject at high school. Those who attack him attack some of us.I know the writer must be in church now.
Kweku 7 years ago

Yes, everybody has his target group. And what do you suppose is the target group on ghanaweb? Readers of APA academic journals?

Yes, everybody has his target group. And what do you suppose is the target group on ghanaweb? Readers of APA academic journals?
John 7 years ago

"I always insist on that and believe he can get more people to see his point of argument if he does not insist on always sounding academic on ghanaweb." Avoid irrelevant repetition. It makes your sentence boring Mr. Kweku. Yo ...
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"I always insist on that and believe he can get more people to see his point of argument if he does not insist on always sounding academic on ghanaweb." Avoid irrelevant repetition. It makes your sentence boring Mr. Kweku. You see!
It is not easy to publish.
BRIGHT BOADU 7 years ago

BRAVO!, YOUR PIECE IS EXCELLENT AND LAUDABLE I HOPE , GHANAIANS AS WELL AS ALL OTHERS WHO WILL READ IT ; WILL EMBRACE AND WELCOME SUCH IMPORTANT IDEAS.

BRAVO!, YOUR PIECE IS EXCELLENT AND LAUDABLE I HOPE , GHANAIANS AS WELL AS ALL OTHERS WHO WILL READ IT ; WILL EMBRACE AND WELCOME SUCH IMPORTANT IDEAS.
Abeeku Mensah 7 years ago

Your article, Nana Yaw Osei, shows you have a long ways to go learning and understanding the USA system you espoused. In the state of Nebraska they practice the unicameral system and it works well why? Let me give you some le ...
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Your article, Nana Yaw Osei, shows you have a long ways to go learning and understanding the USA system you espoused. In the state of Nebraska they practice the unicameral system and it works well why? Let me give you some lessons on learning Mr. Osei.
We continue to fail even more so with our classroom educated Ghanaians because learning is not about reading a book or observations without understanding. A whole lot of educated Ghanaians, especially those in the Diaspora, do boast of post graduate degrees while a few yet proudly publicize their PhD's for all to see and yet their work product in Ghana has been abysmal at best. The essence of the American system of politics and of governance is about constant improvement based on the fundamentals from the founding fathers. But despite the foolishness and lousy election results over the last 20 years in America, the one constant has been indpendent institutions staffed by professionals. You and others not only copy blindly Western values and systems for Ghana and yet fail to understand that in Ghana tribal preferences has made even the delusional democracy promised by the NPP a failure. For you, Nana Yaw Osei, to think that questioning of an executive level appointee on petty little things is a waste of time or some infringement on the presidents choices show your affinity for dictators when they are your kind of dictators while you abhor other dictators. Associations matter, Nana Yaw Osei. A friend of known criminals or someone's nickname from high school earned from the abuse of students matter. Ghana cannot allow and or be blinded by foolishness even from the UK and or the USA. The USA can choose as its president a man like Trump who brags about being the best businessman the world would ever have while having filed more bankruptcies than anyone and thus may not have paid taxes over a number of years. That is the choice for the US and Ghanaians cannot afford to copy blindly. In fact if we were any smarter in Ghana we would make better the western transplanted delusional democracy better for the world to see why the systems in the UK and USA do need improvements. So do not let your stay in the USA go to your head Nana Yaw Osei, learn and work at it but never assume you know better because of your cursory undetstanding of the American or UK systems
Tete 7 years ago

You just don't understand the article.

You just don't understand the article.

Letter to Ghanaians: No parliamentary vetting committee

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