Vetting: Hawa Koomson displayed ‘an alarmingly abysmal lack of knowledge’ in her sector – NDC caucus

The Minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson “displayed an alarmingly abysmal lack of knowledge on the sector she was nominated for, making her unfit for the portfolio”, members of the NDC caucus on the Appointment Committee have stated as a reason for rejecting the Awutu Senya East lawmaker’s appointment.

Ms Koomson was trending number one on Twitter during her vetting as some Ghanaians took to that social media platform to comment on her “poor” command of the English language, her countenance and some responses given at the vetting.

While some suggested that a good command of the queen’s language was not a panacea for competence, others disagreed.

Apart from identify her lack of knowledge in the fisheries sector, the NDC caucus also noted that the Minister-designate could not provide convincing grounds for the shooting incident during the Voter Registration Exercise in Kasoa on 20th July 2020 even though they acknowledged her “belated” apology for her “recklessly dangerous conduct.”

“Mr Chairman, I want to take this opportunity to also apologise to the people who were so scared on that day”, Ms Koomson told Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, 18 February 2021, explaining: “It was in defence of myself because I felt my life was in the danger in the circumstances that I found myself in”.

The Minister-designate of Fisheries and Aquaculture said even though she had a bodyguard as Minister of Special Development Initiative, the policewoman was not around at the time of the incident, thus, her decision to take matters into her own hands.

She said the gun she fired was hers and is duly licensed.

The MP for Awutu Senya East Constituency (Kasoa) said she regretted the incident and wished it had never happened.

Asked if she would resort to her gun if she found herself in the same circumstances again, she said “no”.

She, however, pleaded with the Committee not to belabour the issue since it was still under investigation by the police.

“Mr Chairman, I want to plead with this Committee that the issue is with the police for investigation, so, I wouldn’t want to say much about it”.

But the NDC caucus given further reasons for rejecting Ms Koomson’s appointment noted that her claim of “an ongoing investigation by the Police did not come across as credible considering that there has been no update from the police more than eight months after the unfortunate incident. Our checks also point to the fact that she has not provided any statement to the police as of yet.”

“The nominee confirmed the identity of close associates who have unleashed a reign of terror on helpless political opponents in the pursuit of their narrow political ends,” the caucus added.