Did Hawa Koomson jubilate before her approval?

In a viral social media video, new Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mavis Hawa Koomson is captured happily dancing supposedly before her ‘shocking’ approval by a majority vote in parliament.

In the video, Hawa Koomson is seen dancing to a background song while telling someone in Twi that “)mo se )mo hia biribi k3 k3” meaning: ‘They said they only needed something.’

Many on social media are asking if the statement was in reference to some minority lawmakers having taken bribes to vote for her approval.

Following her underwhelming and widely-criticized performance during her vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, most people expected the minority caucus to vote en bloc against her nomination.

She was one of three nominees that the minority rejected at the caucus level. The others were Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and Owusu Afriyie Akoto, then ministers-designate for Information as well as Food and Agriculture respectively.

When the plenary voted on their nominations earlier this week, Mavis Hawa Koomson got approved by 161 YES votes to 104 NO votes, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah got approved by 155 YES votes to 110 NO votes and Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto got approved by 143 YES votes to 121 NO votes.

Some Ghanaians expressed disappointment especially at the NDC minority members for supporting Hawa Koomson, some also alleged the minority members took bribe to vote for Hawa Koomson.

This has generated a lot of misunderstanding even amongst the opposition NDC as the National Communication Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi, openly expressed disappointment in the minority leader and the NDC MPs.

Below is the video: