Parliament Marshal testifies on vetting chaos, affirms Speaker’s authority

The Marshal of Parliament, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Kofi Owusu, has confirmed that parliamentary marshals operate strictly under the directives of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, and intervene only upon his instruction during disturbances.

Testifying before the Investigative Committee probing the chaos that erupted during the vetting of ministerial nominees on January 30, Lt. Col. Owusu detailed the series of events that unfolded on the night of the incident.

"We were called in and that is when I came in to assess the situation. And we realised that it was beyond the two of us and then we asked the police to come in and help us maintain the security and safety within the committee room", he stated.

He further revealed that while invitation cards were inspected at the entrance, some individuals were allowed into the committee room without invitations, having been brought in by Members of Parliament. He, therefore, suggested that nominees should specify and adhere to a fixed number of invitees to prevent overcrowding and security lapses.

Lt. Col. Owusu recounted that he was managing the crowd outside the committee room when he heard shouts and altercations from inside, prompting him to rush in.

“That was when I heard shouts and altercations in the committee room so I quickly rushed in to find out what was going on. When I came, I realised there were two honourable members almost at each other’s throat, so I quickly moved from that side, passed my way through the crowd, and then came in to settle them and try to push one honourable member to where his seat was,” he recalled.

However, the situation escalated rapidly. The Marshal witnessed MPs raising chairs onto the vetting table while others forcibly dragged and dismantled the tables. Realising the extent of the disorder, he positioned himself behind the Committee Chairman to ensure his safety.

“By the time we got there, we realised there is a chair on the table and other members were on their feet, others pushing the table and pulling the table so I went behind the Chairman to offer protection for him,” he noted.

Amid the turmoil, Lt. Col. Owusu observed the leaders of the Majority and Minority caucuses engaging in discussions to restore calm. However, by the time they returned, the vetting table had been lifted, turned to the side, and its legs forcibly removed.

The damage to the chamber’s microphones made it impossible to proceed with the sitting, leading to an adjournment.

“So, we had to adjourn for the next day and that was the only time we had to escort members out of the Chamber,” he concluded.

The testimony has shed further light on the events of that chaotic night, reinforcing the need for stricter crowd control measures and adherence to procedural guidelines during parliamentary sittings.