A riotous situation broke out during the Appointments Committee’s vetting session on Thursday evening, forcing a change of location when tables and microphones were smashed.
Addressing the chaos, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga issued a heartfelt call for calm while announcing a change in venue for the process to continue.
“Ghana has one of the most attractive and functional democracies. “The Ghanaian Parliament remains the envy of many parliaments,” he remarked, emphasizing the country’s democratic image.
He asked all sides to maintain caution, saying that the actions taking place could harm Ghana’s global image.
“We had a lovely election; the losing side conceded, and the entire world witnessed it. Let us not undermine the enviable image we’ve created for ourselves.”
The Majority Leader described the extent of the destruction, which made vetting difficult.
“We would have persevered, but logistics made it impossible. The microphones have all been destroyed, and you know that without them, it will be difficult for the media to broadcast the events live on their various stations,” he said.
“They can transport the images, but not the voice. And vetting is the process of reviewing and evaluating nominees’ knowledge.
The Bawku Central MP stated that the technical personnel had already closed for the day, and even if they were there, the broken equipment could not be easily replaced that night.
“The damage done to some of the machinery here tonight will be difficult to repair. As a result, it is practically difficult to proceed with the other nominations,” he said.
In reaction to the circumstance, Mr Ayariga announced that the screening procedure will be resumed the following morning at a new venue.
“Given that the facilities here have been destroyed, by morning, we will designate a new location within the House to continue with the vetting of the nominees,” according to him.
Before conclusion, the Majority Leader advised all members to be mindful of time restrictions and the expectations of their constituents.
“We all have fans, and we all need to appease them. “When we are vetting, let us make good use of the time allotted to us so that we can be efficient,” he advised.
“We need to vet as many people as possible so that we can have the ministers at the various ministries functioning and delivering on the commitments that Ghanaians endorsed.”