The Marshal of Parliament, Lt. Col. Samuel Kofi Owusu, has admitted that while adequate security was in place during the vetting of ministerial nominees on January 30, the destruction of state property was unforeseen.

The vetting session, which turned chaotic due to clashes between the Majority and Minority caucuses, resulted in significant damage, prompting Speaker Alban Bagbin to establish an investigative committee to assess the disturbances.

Testifying before the committee on Friday, February 7, the Marshal emphasized that security personnel had been deployed to ensure order but did not anticipate the situation escalating to the point of vandalism.

“We provided enough security at the committee sitting, I think we provided the necessary security for the committee meeting, but little did we know that it would go to the extent of damaging state property,” Lt. Col. Owusu stated.

Explaining how the destruction occurred, he noted that the tables in the chamber were interconnected by cables, and when one was pulled, it triggered a chain reaction that led to the consoles falling and breaking.

“The moment the table was pulled, because the cables were interconnected, that was when the consoles now fell from the table to hit the ground and shattered into pieces,” he explained.

Despite efforts by security personnel to mitigate damage, the Marshal acknowledged that controlling the situation became difficult once the equipment started falling.

“As much as possible, we were also holding them in place so that they were not destroyed,” he added.

However, he expressed regret over the incident, emphasizing that the destruction was not intentional but a consequence of the disorderly scenes that unfolded.

“It was unfortunate that a particular console fell when the table was lifted and got broken,” he said.

The committee is expected to assess the events leading to the disturbances and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future.