Bryan Acheampong, the minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, who thought his “friend”, the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson would treat him with kids’ gloves at Parliament’s Appointments Committee vetting expressed shock at the extent of grilling he faced from him.
The Minority Leader questioned the nominee over his role in the bloody La Bawaleshie shooting incident in which he was purported to have had a hand as the Minister of State in charge of National Security at the presidency at the time.
He was accused of deploying the armed National Security officers that shot into the crowd at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election venue. He denied complicity in the incident that led to the injury and maiming of some people in 2019.
However, Ato Forson went on further to question Acheampong’s trustworthiness considering the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election incident, if he would be a good Minister for Food and Agriculture.
It was at this point that the minister-designate could not hold his disbelief any longer and he burst “Ato, you’re my friend; you should be testifying on my credibility” before asking “ or you don’t trust me again?”
But the Minority Leader insisted that Acheampong answer the question, saying the vetting process was not about giving preferential treatment to a given nominee because of friendship or any other consideration aside from the national interest.
Bryan Acheampong could be seen lamenting on live television about how he was disappointed to have been subjected to such critical scrutiny by none other than somebody he considered his friend.
Source: ANDREAS KAMASAH