Ministers to be vetted
The scheduled vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament of ministers nominated by President Akufo-Addo to help him run his government which was to come off today, has temporarily been put on hold.
At the eleventh hour yesterday, a communication from the Public Affairs Department of Parliament signed by Kate Addo, acting director, indicated that the sitting of the committee today had been rescheduled but did not immediately assign any reason for the postponement.
It only said new dates would be communicated in due course.
So far, the vetting process has been criticized by concerned Ghanaians, saying that it takes too long a time to vet a minister-designate – sometimes running deep into the night.
They have therefore called on the leadership of the committee to do something about the duration of time allotted for the vetting in order not to unduly sap the energies of members of the committee themselves and those of the nominees as well as journalists covering the exercise.
Those who were scheduled to have appeared before the committee today are the Minister-designate for Evaluation and Monitoring, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei; Minister-designate for Regional Reorganisation, Dan Botwe; Minister-designate for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea and Minister-designate for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
Those who were to appear tomorrow are Minister-designate for Railways, Joe Ghartey; Minister-designate for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah; Minister-designate for Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Kofi Adda and Minister-designate for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah.
The Minister-designate for Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful; Minister-designate for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta; Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisah Djaba and the Minister-designate for Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, were to have had their share on Wednesday, February 1, 2017.
Meanwhile, parliament yesterday adopted two separate reports endorsing some selected MPs to represent Ghana in the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa and ECOWAS Parliament in Nigeria.
Those nominated for the Pan-African Parliament are First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Bekwai, Joseph Osei-Owusu; Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Dome/Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo; MP for Jaman South, Yaw Afful; Minority Chief Whip and MP for Asawase, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka and MP for Wa West, Joseph Yieleh Chireh.
Those representing Ghana in the ECOWAS Parliament are Majority Chief Whip and MP for Sunyani East, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh; MP for Akwapim South, O.B. Amoah; MP for Effutu, Alex Afenyo-Markin; MP for Juaben, Ama Pomaah Boateng and MP for Akrofuom, Kwabena Appiah-Pinkrah.
The rest are MP for Anlo, Clement Kofi Humado; MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga and MP for Bodi, Sampson Ahi.
The MP for Evalue-Gwira, Catherine Afeku, who has represented Ghana in the ECOWAS Parliament before, asked the new colleagues who are going to represent Ghana to take advantage of the opportunity to sell the country in the area of trade and good diplomatic relations.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr