Close followers of the vetting of President John Dramani Mahama’s ministerial nominees by the Appointments Committee of Parliament would have by now noticed at least three obvious trends.
There is a subtle attempt to promote activities and understanding of Freemasonry in Ghana by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Ranking Member of the Committee. There is also the occasional interventions and defensive works being done by the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, who consistently steps in when he feels the nominees are being cornered by the Minority members through their questions. The last and perhaps most blatant observation is the conduct of Hajia Laadi Ayamba, the Member of Parliament for Pusiga.
A careful and consistent observation of the process would lead to the conclusion that her presence on the committee is more tied to ensuring the comfort and relaxation of the nominees than probing them about their competence for the roles for which they are being vetted.
Her word or phrase choices usually revolve around “congratulations, you deserve it, and may the Almighty Allah help you succeed.”
Whether by deliberate design of the Majority caucus or by accident, she has become the de-facto praise singer, confidence booster, and by some stretch, the fan-fooler of the nominees on the committee.
While her plan and mission might be to ease the nominees through the process before they are grilled by Afenyo-Markin and his team, her praise-singing sometimes tends to irk followers of the process, including the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, who has on a number of occasions stopped her in her tracks.
However unconventional, popular or unpopular her style is, Hajia Laadi Ayamba has caught the attention of Ghanaians who are interested in knowing more about her and her presence in Ghana’s Parliament.
Who is Hajia Laadi Ayamba
The respected Laadi Ayii Ayamba is a four-term Member of Parliament for Pusiga on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.
Since arriving in Parliament in 2013, Hajia Laadi Ayamba has served on various committees, including the Gender and Children Committee and the Appointments Committee.
She is a strong advocate for gender equality and was instrumental in the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill.
Before veering into politics, she was a career teacher with a degree from the University of Education, Winneba.
EK