The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has disclosed that some invitees attending the vetting proceedings of ministerial nominees were forced to sleep on the premises of Parliament after Thursday’s chaotic incident at the Appointments Committee.
He explained that this situation arose due to the failure of the Appointments Committee to vet all the nominees scheduled for Thursday, January 30, as a result of the confusion that ensued.
Speaking on Wednesday, February 5, during his appearance before the committee investigating last week’s chaos at the Appointments Committee, Mr Agbodza stated, “It was a very difficult situation. I can tell you that some of the invitees slept in open spaces around Parliament on that day.”
He added, “Some colleagues had to beg others to allow their guests to sleep in their offices because the numbers were such that they could not afford hotels for them.”
“I saw some of them entering bathrooms or washrooms in the morning. This was something the committee leadership should have considered ahead of time, as these people were already here. At one point, I approached the leadership and mentioned that I knew of a nominee who had nearly a hundred opinion leaders and chiefs already on the compound at the time. They were told they couldn’t be vetted… Sadly, I can tell you that some of them slept here,” he told the committee when asked about the reason for the forced vetting of more nominees than planned.
Mr Agbodza’s testimony suggested that all ten nominees had to be vetted because their guests had travelled from far, and had no place to stay if the vetting were postponed, as suggested by the minority.