J. B. Danquah’s death stops ministerial vetting
The scheduled programme of the Appointments Committee of Parliament to vet three ministers-designate was called off yesterday due to the murder of a member of the committee and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North, Mr Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu.
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The ministerial appointees who were expected to appear before the committee for vetting, were the Minister-designate for Interior and former Chief of Staff, Mr Prosper Douglas Kweku Bani, Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna and Minister-designate for the Central Region, Mr Kweku Ricketts Hagan.
Well wishers, family members and supporters were seated before 10 a.m, the scheduled time for the vetting of the first nominee, Mr Bani. However, it was not until about 12 noon that a member of the committee and MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abriem, Dr Stephen Nana Ato Arthur, announced that sitting had been deferred due to the death of their colleague.
True to his word that the Chairman of the Appointments Committee would formally make the announcement, Mr Barton Odro, MP for Cape Coast North and also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, few minutes later took his seat to officially call off the day’s sitting.
“We lost a colleague in very tragic circumstances and, therefore, we cannot go ahead with today’s sitting. What we have decided as a committee is to adjourn today’s meeting to Thursday. The Wednesday sitting would remain intact,” he stated.
Before the announcement, there was the loud tolling of a bell, summoning all members of the committee to the Chamber of Parliament for an emergency meeting. Apparently, it was to discuss the murder of their colleague MP and the action needed to be taken in view of the circumstances.
Earlier on Monday, three nominees appeared before the committee to be vetted. They were the Minister-designate for the Upper East Region, Mr Albert Abongo, the nominee for the Ashanti Region, Mr John Alexander Ackon and the Minister-designate for Youth and Sports, Nii Lante Vanderpuye.
Suspension of Parliamentary sitting
Also suspended in memory of the late MP was Parliamentary sitting for the day.
The Minority Leader of Parliament, Mr Osei-Kyei-Mensah Bonsu moved the motion for the suspension of sitting before noon and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family, saying "I believe the entire House is not in a good mood to do business today.”
Some of the MPs were seen gathered in groups and visibly shaken by the news of how their colleague died, and expressed fears for their own lives.
After sitting had been called off, the shell-shocked and morose MPs, most of them clad in black and red attire, proceeded in a bus convoy to the deceased MP’s residence to ascertain things for themselves.