Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has revealed a troubling claim about the Appointments Committee accepting cash during vetting.

He disclosed that Joseph Osei-Owusu, the former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, the ex-NDC Minority Chief Whip, confirmed to him that the committee regularly received payments from the Office of the President.

Awuni pointed out that he highlighted this issue in his book, The President Ghana Never Got, raising serious concerns about transparency and integrity in the vetting process.

“The cash payment was to provide a level playing ground for nominees who could not pay. That practice started in 2009 and has remained. (I’m yet to know if that’s happening in the current vetting).
“The committee members took the weekly payments from the Jubilee House even though they were officially paid by parliament for their time on the vetting committee”.
Manasseh Azure Awuni

Awuni’s revelation lends further weight to the allegations made by political activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, suggesting that the Appointments Committee accepts payments from nominees for their consideration and approval.

It also strengthens the claim made by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who had previously confirmed that individuals from a particular sector were planning to offer a bribe to the Committee in support of a Minister-Designate.

Ayariga, however, indicated that he intervened, halting the plan and promptly reporting the matter to the Chairman of the Committee.

Manasseh Azure Awuni expressed disappointment that Joseph Osei-Owusu and Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka confirmed the routine receipt of cash payments by the Appointments Committee from the Office of the President.

However, he noted that both MPs denied bribery allegations made by Mahama Ayariga and other NDC MPs during the vetting of Boakye Agyarko in 2017.

Awuni noted that their denial at the time contradicted their later admission, raising questions about the consistency and transparency of parliamentary vetting processes.

Ministerial Nominees Offered Money for Facilitation

Furthermore, Manasseh Azure Awuni revealed that in a recorded interview he conducted before writing his book, the former Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, admitted that some ministerial nominees attempted to offer him money for facilitation.

He stated that the MP, Osei-Owusu, stated that when he informed them such payments were not necessary, many found it hard to believe.

This, according to Awuni, underscores the deeply entrenched perception that financial inducements play a role in the vetting and approval process.

“Chapter Twenty-Five of “The President Ghana Never Got” reveals the inner workings of Parliament and how a former MP said nothing moved in the House without money changing hands”.
Manasseh Azure Awuni

Awuni also disclosed that state institutions scheduled to appear before parliamentary committees, including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), were often required to make financial payments to Members of Parliament before being granted a hearing.

He noted that this practice, which undermines the integrity of parliamentary oversight, has become a norm rather than an exception.

According to him, such demands for money raise serious concerns about transparency and accountability in Ghana’s governance system, as they create an environment where institutions may feel pressured to offer bribes in order to have their matters addressed.

Awuni revealed that a Chief Executive Officer of a state agency confirmed this troubling practice.

According to him, the CEO personally experienced instances where institutions were compelled to pay money before being granted an audience by parliamentary committees.

This corroboration, Awuni noted, further underscores the deep-seated nature of the issue and raises serious concerns about the integrity of parliamentary proceedings.

He emphasized that such practices erode public trust in governance and weaken oversight mechanisms meant to ensure transparency and accountability in state institutions.

These revelations about parliamentary dealings cast a serious shadow over the credibility of the legislative body and its committees, which are meant to uphold accountability and transparency in the management of state resources.