Your shooting was 'unministerial' - Haruna to Hawa

Ranking Member on Parliament's Appointments Committee, Haruna Iddrisu, has pointed out to the minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, that her behavior during the July 2020 voter registration exercise is 'unministerial.'

In July 2020, the nominee, who is the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, was involved in a misunderstanding at Kasoa, in her constituency, where she fired gunshots.

The former Special Development Initiatives Minister was eventually arrested by the police, following which explained that she only fired the gunshots when her life was threatened by some thugs alleged to be affiliated to the opposition NDC.

But, during her vetting at Parliament's Appointments Committee, where she re-stated her defense for firing those shots, Haruna Iddrisu told her that although she has apologized, the incident smacks of an 'unministerial' behaviour.

Here is how it panned out, starting with a question from Haruna, and then an answer from Hawa, in that order:

"You have a bodyguard as an MP, a minister, who followed you that day?"

"Yes, I have a bodyguard but that day, the bodyguard was not with me because it was as early as 6 am. She had then not reported for duty."

"I can understand that the matter is being investigated by the police but call it the famous or infamous Rambo-style-Hawaian shooting, you want to say that you are apologizing, assuming it had resulted in loss of life, will an apology be enough to compensate for a person from that act, which in my view, was not only dishonorable, but unministerial. You think that a minister should just take a gun and start shooting? Should that be that conduct of a person occupying the high office of minister?"

"No please, Mr. Chairman. But as I said earlier, it was the circumstances that I found myself and that led me to it and as I said, it is under police investigation and I really regret it."

Mavis Hawa Koomson is before Parliament's Appointments Committee to answer questions with regards to her appointment to the office of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.