Hawa Koomson vetting: Eloquence being put above functionality – Adam Bonaa

Security Analyst, Adam Bonaa is calling for circumspection on the level to which the eloquence of would-be public officials is primed over their level of delivery in terms of duty execution.

His call comes at the back of the public backlash that has met the performance of the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mavis Hawa Koomson when she appeared before parliament's Appointments Committee.

According to Mr Bonaa, the logic that a nominee may not be up to task for a ministerial role because of their articulation can be warped.

Mr Bonaa notes that the history of some former government appointees who failed in their duties in spite of their enviable academic qualification and articulation is enough reason for the country to rethink the value placed on articulation over job performance.

“We seem to glorify eloquence with articulation over performance on the job. Ghana had a medical professor as Minister-in-Charge of Environment, Science and Technology in the last administration, but it was the period in which the environment got destroyed through galamsey, illegal rosewood harvesting and improper disposal of refuse in the country,” he stated.

In Adam Bonaa’s view, “the ability to define a subject may not be a yardstick for performance just as a first-class Degree may not be a panacea for an excellent performance on the job.”

He admonished Ghanaians to prime job performance over articulation and oral fluency whiles touting the record of Madam Hawa Koomson as one of the best Ministers in the first term administration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

“We must as a nation start glorifying performance on the job, not articulation and fluency in a certain language and definitions of subjects. Hon Hawa Koomson was one of the best performing Ministers of State in the previous government and I urge the Appointments Committee of Parliament to approve her,” he added.