Albert Kan-Dapaah
The vetting of President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees by the Appointments Committee of Parliament is expected to commence today with two of the nominees, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu designated for the Health Ministry and Albert Kan-Dapaah designated for the National Security Ministry, programmed to take questions from the committee members.
The 26-member committee, which is chaired by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Wusu, is made up of 13 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and another 13 MPs from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Earlier, the NPP Majority group had raised questions about the composition of the committee, indicating that the First Deputy Speaker, who came from its camp, was on the committee as the Speaker’s representative, while fighting for one more slot.
Per the approved ratio of 138:137 and the conventions and practices of the House, 26 members of the Appointments Committee worked out to 13 members for each of the caucuses and the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, insisted this was not a fair representation since the First Deputy Speaker had been counted for the NPP.
Among the MPs who made it to the Appointments Committee, apart from First Deputy Speaker Osei-Wusu, are Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin (Vice Chairman), John Ntim Fordjour, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Patrick Yaw Boamah, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, Henry Quartey, Bryan Acheampong, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Patricia Appiagye, Osei Bonsu Amoah and new entrants Alhassan Tampoli Sulemana (NPP) and John Ampoyuah Kumah, representing the majority side.
For the Minority Group, MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, leads as the Ranking Member with the Asawase MP, Mohammed Mubarak-Muntaka, as his deputy, with Mahama Ayariga, Sampson Ahi, Eric Opoku, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, James Agalga, Edwin Nii Lamptey Vanderpuye, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Alhassan Suhuyini, as well as new entrants Francis Xavier Kojo Sosu, Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahim, and Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui.
In all, 46 nominees will go through a public scrutiny which is expected to be telecast live by the state broadcaster, Ghana Television.
The decision to begin vetting of the nominees was taken at a meeting of members of the Appointments Committee as announced in Parliament by the Ranking Member, Haruna Iddrisu.
Outlining the order the nominees are scheduled to appear in before the committee, Parliament in a statement indicated that around a period of a month would be taken by all 46 nominees to pass through the vetting process.
“We will do our work without fear or favour. We will probe in the records of the ministers, not just their CVS, we will measure IQ, knowledge, subject matter, temperament and the extent to which they are serving the public as well as on matters of integrity and services,” he said.
In all, 46 ministers nominated by the President are going to be vetted by the committee in about a month.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House