Member of Parliament for Pusiga, Laadi Ayii Ayamba
The Member of Parliament for Pusiga, Laadi Ayii Ayamba, has defiantly addressed social media critics who questioned her habit of saying “bye-bye” as a sign-off during the parliamentary vetting of ministerial nominees.
According to Ayamba, her signature comment is “for the best.”
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmaker and member of the Appointments Committee recently drew online ridicule for repeatedly congratulating nominees and ending her remarks with “bye-bye” without posing substantive questions.
Critics accused her of failing to adequately scrutinize nominees, leading to memes and debates about her role.
In response, during Friday’s vetting of Health Minister nominee Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Ayamba tackled the backlash head-on.
“I will always congratulate my people. And when I say ‘bye-bye, bye-bye,’ it is for the best,” she declared, drawing laughter from colleagues familiar with the trend.
This time, however, she broke from her usual script to grill Akandoh on a critical issue; the backlog of 20,000 unemployed Allied Health nurses and 60,000 others awaiting posting.
After her query, Hajia Ayamba concluded with congratulations but skipped her trademark “bye-bye, prompting fellow MPs to jokingly shout the phrase themselves.
“The ‘bye-bye’ is worrying you!” she fired back, sparking more laughter in the chamber.
Social media divided
While some online critics applauded her newfound assertiveness, others remain skeptical.
Who is Laadi Ayii Ayamba?
A trained teacher and graduate of the University of Education, Winneba, Hajia Ayamba served in education roles for over two decades before entering politics.
She has been the MP for Pusiga since 2012 and is a member of the ECOWAS Parliament. She is also a former Chair of Parliament’s Gender and Children Committee.
Ayamba has represented Ghana at UN sessions on women’s rights, including the CEDAW conference in Geneva.
ID/MA
Meanwhile, watch as chaos erupts at Parliament over vetting of Okudzeto Ablakwa and Mintah Akandoh