Drama in parliament over Osafo-Maafo and Boakye Agyarko’s approval
The Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament, has approved Senior Minister Nominee , Osafo Maafo and Energy Minister Nominee, Boakye Agyarko without the Minority’s support.
Parliament has approved the nomination of 8 ministerial nominees to serve in the Nana Akufo-Addo led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
A report presented to the House by the Appointments Committee tasked to vet the nominees, recommended the approval of 8 out of the 13 nominees who appeared before the committee with the minister-nominee of Energy, Boakye Agyarko, and Senior minister nominee, Osafo Maafo being excluded.
Though the two subsequently submitted documentary evidence on Thursday as part of efforts to ensure their approval, Citi News’ Duke Opoku Mensah who was in Parliament today [Friday], reported that the Minority was still not cooperating.
“The information I’m picking from the corridors of Parliament is that, there has been a deadlock with regards to a consensus to be reached on the Senior Minister nominee and Minister Nominee for Energy . What I’m picking up is that, the leadership has not been able to reach a consensus…The majority would have to use its sheer force of numbers to ensure the approval,” Duke reported.
A report by the Parliament Appointment’s Committee indicated that “”all the nominees demonstrated through their answers to questions posed to them by members of the committee that they have the intellectual capacity, skill, experience and the requisite training to a) To “assist the President in the determination of general policy of the government” and b) “necessary for the efficient running of the state” as envisaged by Articles 76 (2) and 78 (2) of the constitution.”
It said “notwithstanding the forgoing, Members of the minority on the Committee, have indicated that they do not support the recommendation to approve Hon. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Senior Minister-Designate and Mr. Boakye the Energy Minister-Designate by consensus.
It added that “consequently in accordance with order 172 (4) o the standing orders of the House of the Committee recommends to the House to approve the nomination by majority decision. i) Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo ii) Mr. Boakye Agyarko.”
Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu, had explained that, they needed some “additional information” on statements they both made before the Committee during the vetting.
He said Mr. Agyarko provided some “inaccurate” information relating to the “debt associated with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Volta River Authority (VRA).”
-Citifmonline