Bedzrah: Bagbin Didn’t Suspend Vetting Chaos Hearing; It Was Orchestrated by the Minority

Emmanuel Bedzrah, the Chairman of the special committee investigating the recent chaos during the vetting process, has clarified that Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin did not order the suspension of the public hearing. Instead, he stated that the decision to halt the proceedings was orchestrated by the Minority members of Parliament.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the committee, which was tasked with investigating the disruptive events during the vetting process, announced the suspension of its proceedings indefinitely. Initially, Bedzrah had communicated that the suspension was based on instructions from the Clerk of Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror. According to Bedzrah, the Clerk had indicated that Speaker Bagbin would provide further instructions on how to proceed with the committee’s sessions moving forward.

However, in an interview with Channel One Newsroom, Bedzrah provided additional details, correcting his earlier statement and providing a more in-depth explanation of what transpired behind the scenes. He clarified that the Minority played a central role in the decision to suspend the proceedings, and that the Speaker of Parliament had no involvement in the matter.

“Let me make it clear that the Speaker was completely unaware of what happened,” Bedzrah said. He went on to describe his actions following the disruption that occurred during the committee sitting. After the incident, Bedzrah decided to meet with the Clerk and the leadership of the Parliament, including the Deputy Speakers, to discuss the situation. They met in the Speaker’s lobby to address the confusion that had arisen.

“When I arrived at the lobby, I was told that the Speaker had already given instructions regarding the suspension of the hearing,” Bedzrah explained. “At that point, I tried to reach the Speaker to confirm this information, but I was told that they could not get in touch with him by phone.”

Bedzrah added, “Later, I was informed that the Speaker had supposedly directed that, following an apology from the Minority, we should pause the hearing. However, I disagreed because this was not the instruction I had received directly from the Speaker.”

According to Bedzrah, he then contacted the Speaker personally, and the Speaker denied giving any such instructions. “I called the Speaker directly, and he informed me that he had not issued any directive for the suspension of the hearing,” Bedzrah stated. “In fact, everyone had heard the Speaker say just the previous day that the Clerk should proceed with its work. Based on that, I was certain that the Speaker had not ordered the halt of the proceedings.”

Amid the confusion, Bedzrah and the committee decided to move forward with a suspension of the hearing, but only as a temporary measure until the Speaker could return and provide specific guidance on how to proceed. “Given the situation, we decided to suspend the proceedings temporarily and await the Speaker’s return to give us clearer instructions on the way forward,” Bedzrah said.

He made it clear that the suspension of the hearing was not a decision made by the Speaker but was instead the result of actions taken by the Minority members of Parliament. “Honestly, I can confirm that the entire suspension was initiated by the Minority side of the House,” Bedzrah stated firmly. “I say this with authority. The Speaker had no role in this decision.”

Bedzrah’s clarification serves to correct the earlier impression that Speaker Bagbin had been responsible for the suspension of the proceedings. The situation has raised questions about the role of the Minority in influencing the committee’s actions, as well as the overall management of the vetting process in Parliament.

As the investigation continues, Bedzrah emphasized the importance of transparency and proper communication among the leadership of the House. He reiterated that the committee would await further instructions from Speaker Bagbin before deciding on the next steps, ensuring that the vetting process and the investigation into the chaos would proceed in a structured and orderly manner.