Parliament on Tuesday constituted a committee to scrutinise ministerial appointees of President Nana Akufo-Addo, promising to ensure that only competent persons get the nod.
The Appointments Committee was speedily established in response to a plea by the President in a letter to the Speaker, Mike Oquaye, to fast track the vetting process to enable the ministers to get to work.
The Committee will be chaired by First Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament for Bekwasi, Joe Osei Wusu.
The 25-member committee includes some of the ministers-designate such as Mathew Opoku Prempeh and Domnic Nitiwul.
Other members of the Committee from the Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) side are Sarah Adjoa Sarfo, Ursula Owusu and Titus Glover.
Mahama Ayariga, Muntaka Mubarak, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Alhassan Suhini, Samuel Okujeto-Ablakwa and Haruna Iddrisu, are among representatives from the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Joy News Correspondent, Joseph Opoku Gakpo, reports that Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, told the House on Tuesday that the Committee will do a thorough job.
Haruna Iddrisu said the Committee will not rubber stamp the President’s appointees in a bid to end the practice of playing second fiddle to the Executive.
The President on Tuesday named 13 ministers in his first list of ministers to serve in his government at a press conference at the Flagstaff House.
The names on the ministerial appointee list unveiled yesterday are dominated by former government officials of the Kufuor government. They are:
1. Yaw Osafo Marfo – Senior Minister
2. Albert Kan Dapaa – Minister for National Security
3. Alan Kyremanteng – Minister for Trade and Industry
4. Ken Ofori-Atta – Minister for Finance
5. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto – Minister for Agriculture
6. Boakye Agyarko – Minister for Energy
7. Dominic Nitiwul – Minister for Defense
8. Ambrose Dery – Minister for Interior
9. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway – Minister for Foreign Affairs
10. Gloria Akuffo – Attorney-General and Minister for Justice
11. Hajia Alima Mahama – Minister for Local Government
12. Matthew Opoku Prempeh – Minister for Education
13. Kwaku Agyeman Manu – Minister for Health
The President says a second list will be made public in the course of the week.
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