The Roads and Highways Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has strongly rejected accusations that Foreign Minister-designate Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was “smuggled in” during the ministerial vetting on Thursday, January 30.

In his testimony before the committee investigating the disruption on Wednesday, February 5, Agbodza clarified that Ablakwa's vetting had been set for January 30 all along.

The proceedings, however, faced a disruption after the vetting of nominees scheduled for Wednesday, January 29, had to be postponed due to the unanticipated appearance of social activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor.

Agbodza explained that on January 30, tensions escalated when the Majority insisted on moving forward with the vetting, despite opposition from the Minority.

The Minority objected to the vetting of both Ablakwa and Health Minister-designate Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, citing inadequate consultation.

This led to the suspension of four MPs, a decision that was later reversed by Speaker Alban Bagbin on Tuesday, February 4.

Agbodza dismissed claims of an eleventh-hour arrangement, emphasizing that Ablakwa’s vetting had been planned well ahead of time, with no intention to circumvent proper parliamentary procedures.

“I know Hon. Ablakwa wanted to be vetted a week before the incident happened. They couldn’t give him the opportunity to be vetted. So, originally, Hon. Ablakwa was supposed to be vetted on Thursday, January 30, so if anybody says Hon. Ablakwa was smuggled in on Thursday, that is not true.”

Agbodza further stated that the committee opted to move five nominees from January 29 to be considered alongside the three that were originally set for January 30.

“The spillover from Wednesday, January 29, 2025, where five nominees originally were scheduled to be vetted were added to the three. We had a situation of three plus five. That decision had to be made by the committee and have some leeway.

“If anyone says, we were originally to vet three, we give in and make it four and somebody is trying to make it five, that is not entirely the situation. The situation was the Appointments Committee elected not to vet on Wednesday, and they had made people know that there will be vetting of 8 people.”