Parliament approves Nuworsu's nomination

Page 17, Feb 22, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
PARLIAMENT yesterday gave its approval to the nomination of Ken-Wuud Nuworsu as a Deputy Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment.
The House did so through the adoption of the 15th report of the Appointments Committee of Parliament on the President’s nomination for ministerial appointments.
The Speaker, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, referred the nomination of Mr Nuworsu to the committee on July 18, 2007.
But when the committee submitted its report on July 30, 2007, the House deferred its decision on the nominee’s “prior approval” to allow for further checks.
According to the report of the Appointments Committee signed by its chairman, Mr Freddie W.A. Blay, Mr Noworsu, who is currently the Volta Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), had to deal with allegations against him on financial impropriety and queries from the Auditor-General’s Department, as well as the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), during his vetting.
The report stated that the committee was obliged to conduct further checks on the veracity or otherwise of the allegations levelled against Mr Nuworsu.
It said the Auditor-General, Mr Edward Dua Agyeman, confirmed through correspondence to the committee that there were irregularities in the procedure adopted in the maiden 2004 audit report that was carried out on the accounts of the NADMO office at Ho, which adversely affected the nominee.
According to the report, a re-audit by the Auditor-General’s Department exonerated the nominee from all alleged financial impropriety and other related matters that were raised at the public vetting of Mr Nuworsu.
“The committee is satisfied with the outcome of further investigations conducted by the Auditor-General and recommends this Honourable House approves the appointment of Mr Ken-Wuud Nuworsu as Deputy Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment by consensus,” it said.