Parliamentary vetting processes are meant to be structured, orderly, and fair. However, events do not always unfold as expected. The recent vetting exercise of President John Mahama’s ministerial nominees turned chaotic, leading to heated disagreements, disruptions, and even physical altercations. To ascertain the cause of the disturbances, an investigative committee launched a probe into the matter.
As part of the investigation, Majority Leader Hon. Mahama Ayariga was called as a witness to provide an account of what transpired. In his testimony, he detailed his observations, efforts to mediate the situation, and the eventual breakdown of order.
Hon. Mahama Ayariga began his testimony by recounting his arrival at the committee room on January 30, 2025, between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Upon entering, he noticed that the vetting process was ongoing, with the nominee for the Ministry of Transport being assessed. He took a seat in the room and attentively followed the proceedings. He indicated;
“When I came into the committee room, the nominee to the Ministry of Transport was the one being vetted. And I observed the vetting for a while until the vetting of the nominee for transport was completed.”
Hon. Mahama Ayariga Majority Leader
However, as the vetting of the nominee for transport concluded, tensions escalated. The committee chairman decided to invite Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh for his turn. These moves sparked immediate and strong disagreement from the Minority side.
Hon. Ayariga noted that members of the Minority refused to sit and openly expressed their disapproval of the chairman’s decision to continue with the vetting process. Despite the growing tension, he remained seated, keenly observing how the situation would be handled. He continued;
“After a while, when I noticed that it was difficult for the chairman to bring order to the room, I decided to get up from where I was seated and start talking to both sides to understand what really was the problem.”
Hon. Mahama Ayariga Majority Leader
The Minority members explained that there had been prior discussions regarding the number of nominees to be vetted.
They believed they had agreed to vet only three nominees initially, and after some negotiations, they reluctantly accepted a fourth and fifth. However, they were now being confronted with two additional nominees, Hon. Akandoh and Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, which they saw as a breach of agreement.
On the other hand, the Majority side rejected the Minority’s claim, asserting that there was no binding agreement on limiting the number of nominees. According to him, they argued;
“They also indicated that there was no agreement to vet only three people and that because of the decision to hear Vormawor, they had pushed all those who were supposed to be nominated that day to Thursday. So, they were hoping to clear both the nominees for Wednesday and Thursday on Thursday.”
“I tried to convince the Majority side that how about if they agree to vet Akandoh so that we push Ablakwa to Friday morning. They said no. They must vet the two of them that day. Then I went to the Minority side and tried to plead with them… they also said no.”
Hon. Mahama Ayariga Majority Leader
The Situation Escalates into Chaos
As negotiations stalled, tensions in the room continued to rise. The heated verbal exchanges soon turned physical, with some members breaking tables, pulling out microphone blocks, and even grabbing each other by the shirts. Hon. Ayariga stepped in once more, trying to separate those involved in physical confrontations.
Additionally, the corridors outside the committee room were packed with individuals, further complicating the situation. He noted;
“The audience behind the nominee [was] also participating, as you could see in the videos, shouting and shaming members of the Minority side.”
Hon. Mahama Ayariga Majority Leader
According to Hon. Ayariga, seeing that the situation was beyond control, Hon. Ayariga consulted with a few individuals and decided that the best course of action was to end the vetting session for the day. He emphasized;
“By the time they had broken one table, they had pulled out the blocks of the microphones, and in one or two instances, they had actually smashed the microphones.”
“I announced that, and they all accepted, and I dispersed. Those were what I saw and what I did on that day.”
Hon. Mahama Ayariga Majority Leader
Hon. Mahama Ayariga’s testimony as an eye witnessed sheds light on the chaotic scenes that unfolded during the vetting exercise. His account highlights the deep divisions and breakdown of consensus that led to the altercation.
While parliamentary vetting is a critical democratic process, this incident underscores the urgent need for better conflict resolution mechanisms and adherence to procedural agreements to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
