The minority in Parliament have abstained from approving the nomination of Otiko Afisa Djaba, as the Minister-nominee for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
This means she can’t be approved by consensus, and would thus be approved solely by the Majority using their numbers.
Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, 30th January, 2017, vetted the nominee for the ministerial portfolio, having her answer various questions ranging from the challenges of head porters in the various capital cities, the state of the LEAP program, and livelihood empowerment among others.
Following her vetting, the minority have indicated it is against her approval as minister over some unsatisfactory answers she gave at the vetting.
According to the minority, the consensus not to approve Otiko Djaba stems from her posturing before the committee in responding to a question about some unsavory comments she made about former President John Mahama during the campaign trail.
The nominee was queried by some of the Minority members on the panel for describing the former president as “wicked, evil and someone with a heart of the devil,” but she said she still stood by those words and will not apologize for them.
The minority also expressed concerns that Otiko Djaba had not undertaken her one-year mandatory national service because she had traveled out of the country.
The Ghana National Service Scheme Act 426 section 7 states that a person who has not commenced and completed his or her period of national service shall not;
(a) obtain employment outside the Scheme; or
(b) be employed by any other person outside the Scheme; or
(c) be engaged in any employment outside the Scheme, whether self-employed or otherwise, without the prior permission, in writing, of the Board.
(2) It shall be the duty of every employer to ascertain from every employee, upon his appointment, whether or not he is liable to national service and if he is, the employer shall notify the fact to the Board forthwith.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu during the debate of the third report of the Appointments Committee for the approval of the second batch of nominees, noted that, his side was uncomfortable with the nominee’s attitude and temperament.
In spite of his observations, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Joseph Osei-Owusu, said they are convinced that the nominee is qualified and are willing to approve her without the minority’s support.
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