Gifty Jiagge-Gobah, Clerk to the Appointments Committee, has revealed that she exited the committee’s tense vetting session on January 30, 2025, following direct instructions from her husband.

The vetting, which involved the nominations of Kwabena Mintah Akandoh as Minister for Health and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as Minister for Foreign Affairs, was marred by heated exchanges between the Majority and Minority sides.

Appearing before a Special Committee set up by Speaker Alban Bagbin on February 5, Jiagge-Gobah explained that she faced intense pressure from the Majority to administer the oath to the Health Minister-designate, a move strongly opposed by the Minority.

“They [Majority] kept screaming at me to let the nominee take the oath, while the Minority Leader was also yelling at me,” she stated. “At some point, I started fanning myself due to the heat of the situation and took a seat.”

Amidst the chaos, she received three calls and a message from her husband, instructing her to leave immediately. “That order I took, and I left,” she added, explaining that she exited through another door and stood in front of the Clerk’s office.

Following the incident, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin came under fire for accusing Jiagge-Gobah of bias and calling for her resignation. The opposition claimed she showed allegiance to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), compromising the neutrality of the vetting process.

However, on February 4, after calls from Adaklu MP and Minister for Roads and Highways Governs Kwame Agbodza, Afenyo-Markin issued an apology, admitting that frustration had led to an unprofessional reaction. He emphasized the need for decorum in parliamentary proceedings.