Parliament approves 20 ministerial nominations

Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE nominations of the last 20 persons for deputy ministerial appointments were approved by Parliament yesterday.
The 20 nominees were vetted by the Appointments Committee of Parliament after the House had completed its First Meeting of the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
They are Mrs Betty Bosomtwi-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister; Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, Health; Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, Justice and Attorney-General; Dr Hanna Louisa Bisiw, Water Resources, Works and Housing; Mrs Lucy Awuni Mbun, Upper East Region; Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Environment, Science and Technology; Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Information; Col Cyril Neku (retd), Volta Region; Mr Baba Jamal Ahmed, Eastern Region; and Mr Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, Roads and Highways.
The rest are: Mr Chris Kpodo, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Alhaji Saani Iddi, Water Resources, Works and Housing; Mr Antwi Boasiako Sekyere, Employment and Social Welfare; Dr Alfred Sugri Tia, Food and Agriculture; Mr James Agyenim Boateng, Information; Mr Yaw Effa-Baafi, Food and Agriculture; Ms Anima Wilson, Ashanti Region; Nii Amasa Namoale, Food and Agriculture; Mr Kwabena O. Akyeampong, Tourism; and Mr Gideon Quarcoo, Communications.
The 45-page report of the Appointments Committee stated that “the committee, having satisfied itself that the nominees have met the requirements of the Constitution, respectfully recommends their nominations to the House for approval”.
Opening the ensuing debate, the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Ambrose Dery, said although Article 94 stipulated the qualifications of a minister, it should not be taken as sacrosanct.
He, therefore, called on Parliament to set up a criteria by which future nominees would be vetted so that the Appointments Committee would not be labelled as a rubber stamp.
The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said the committee had dutifully discharged its obligations and called some of the nominees to continue to learn to enable them to meet the challenges of their offices.
For his part, the Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, thanked members of the Appointments Committee for working hard to vet the nominees even when Parliament was on recess.
He called on the nominees to critically analyse comments made on the floor of the House about their performances before the Appointments Committee to enable them to improve on their shortcomings.
Rounding up, the Vice-Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Mr E.T. Mensah, thanked the MPs for their comments and appealed to them to approve the committee’s report.