Benito Owusu-Bio
Parliament unanimously approved 12 nominees for Minister of State and Deputy Ministers yesterday after days of debate by both sides of the House.
The Appointments Committee, by consensus, recommended to the House to approve the nomination of Charles Kofi Asare Adu-Boahen for appointment as Minister of State responsible for Finance, following deliberations on his nomination in accordance with Article 256 (1) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 172 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
The rest are Benito Owusu-Bio for the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, Augustine Collins Ntim and Osei Bonsu Amoah for the Local Government, Decentralisation & Rural Development Ministry, William Owuraku Aidoo for the Energy Ministry, Abena Osei-Asare for the Finance Ministry, and Yaw Frimpong Addo for Food and Agriculture Ministry.
Others are Kwaku Asante Boateng for Railway Development, Ama Pomaa Boateng for Communications & Digitalisation Ministry, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong for Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration, Moses Anim for Fisheries & Aquaculture and Nana Dokua Asiamah-Adjei for Trade and Industry.
Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei-Wusu, moved the motion for the adoption of the Committee’s report, seconded by Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, the Ranking Member of the committee.
The names of the twelve deputy Ministers were presented to Parliament on April, 21, 2021 by President Akufo-Addo.
A total number of 40 names, comprising one Minister of State designate and 39 Deputy Ministers-designate were submitted to the Committee for consideration and recommendation to the House.
He reported that the Committee principally relied on the 1992 Constitution, the Standing Orders of the Parliament and the Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the nominees as documents during its deliberations.
According to Mr. Osei-Wusu, in furtherance of Order 172 (3) of the Standing Orders of the Parliament, the names of the nominees were published in newspapers with national circulation for the attention of the general public.
The Committee, he said, also through the publication, requested memoranda in respect of the nominees from the general public, adding that the Committee subsequently sought and obtained confidential reports in respect of the nominees from the Ghana Police Service and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
“The Committee also requested and obtained tax status reports on the nominees from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA),” he noted.
He narrated that the committee, thereafter, held public hearings to consider the nominations, with each nominee subscribing to the Oath of Witness before proceeding to answer questions posed by members.
The questions, the Chairman submitted, were related to their CVs, eligibility, competence, and issues about the offices for which they have been nominated for. Other questions of national concern were also asked.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House