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Policemen on duty at Parliament House last Monday and Tuesday had a hectic time in trying to control scores of supporters of five Presidential nominees for ministerial appointment, when they appeared before the Appointments Committee to be vetted.

Although that was not the first time supporters and family members had followed their loved ones to be considered for ministerial appointments, there were ugly scenes as some of the supporters heckled security men to allow them to enter the already congested hall, where their compatriots were being quizzed.

While the security insisted that the hall was full and would not allow any more persons to enter it, the supporters insisted on watching their idols while being drilled by members of the committee.

It was embarrassing to see some queenmothers who could not gain access to the choked halls squatting on the bare floor of adjoining committee halls, while some chiefs and their entourage who could not find seats in the hall also sat waiting in other committee rooms.

Others who waited on the forecourt of the House ended up littering the place with lunch boxes and plastic materials.

The press, which was supposed to give coverage of the event, was at the receiving end as the supporters denied pressmen and women seats. The reporters had to cram themselves into the corners of the hall while they struggled to do their job.

One thought that the House would have taken a cue from previous events and advised nominees to limit the number of supporters they could send to the House on such occasions.

On the second day, when one thought the committee would advise nominees to limit the number of supporters, it rather acknowledged the presence of chiefs and other dignitaries such as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

MMDCEs, who are supposed to be in their offices working, had travelled all the way from their areas just to give moral support a nominee.

Some media personnel present were of the opinion that such a high-level national function must be devoid of needless fanfare and blamed the nominees for organising the crowds to Parliament House.

They maintained that the huge number of supporters, including chiefs and MMDCEs, who normally throng the precincts of the House, did not contribute anything to help the nominee and the committee in any way.

“I am not counting the cost, but the Committee will rather make progress and save time, if the nominees do not organise, hire vehicles and send their supporters to the House,” a reporter remarked.