Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, has revealed that a businessman recently attempted to raise funds to support the approval of a ministerial nominee, despite no such financial requirements being stipulated in the process.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on January 28, Ayariga, who is also the MP for Bawku Central, shared details of the encounter, saying the businessman, who operates in the relevant sector, expressed a desire to “help” the nominee ahead of their parliamentary approval. Ayariga, however, swiftly rejected the idea, asserting that such mobilization was both unnecessary and unwelcome.
“I told the person, ‘There is no need for you and your sector to mobilize funds to support your minister, because we won’t even accept it,’” Ayariga explained.
The revelation comes amid ongoing allegations from lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who claimed that ministerial nominees were being asked to pay bribes for parliamentary approval. Ayariga dismissed these claims and called on Barker-Vormawor to provide concrete evidence.
“I’ve heard what he said, and the committee chair reached out to me,” Ayariga stated. “If he has any substantiated claims, he should bring them forward so we can address them transparently.”
Ayiraga, a former Sports Minister, emphasized that the Appointments Committee, which is responsible for vetting ministerial nominees, operates with integrity, and that no nominee should feel the need to pay for approval.
Responding to allegations of financial exchanges within the committee, Ayariga expressed his personal lack of knowledge about such activities. “I’m unaware of anything like that,” he said, urging Barker-Vormawor to present evidence if he has any.
The Majority Leader also pointed out that with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) holding a majority in Parliament, there is little incentive for such payments. “NDC controls 184 seats, and we have no difficulty approving any nominee we support,” he explained.
Ayiraga further clarified that unless a nominee faces significant issues, often raised through petitions, they are likely to be approved. He stressed that most nominees are sitting MPs, who are constitutionally qualified for ministerial positions.
Maintaining a commitment to transparency, Ayariga encouraged anyone with credible evidence of wrongdoing to come forward. “We want to build institutions that are credible and have the trust of Ghanaians,” he added.
While Ayariga expressed doubt about the validity of the bribery allegations, he welcomed any potential investigation into the matter.
Source:TheDotNews