7 More Ministers Named

Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah

Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah

A second batch of ministerial nominations has been made by President John Mahama, according to a statement signed by Dr. Raymond A. Atuguba, Executive Secretary to the President.

Prominent among the nominees are Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor and Ms. Hanny Sherry Ayittey.

The nomination, according to the statement, is in consonance with Article 78 of the 1992 Constitution.

The latest release did not contain the names of some senior members like Alban Bagbin, Mohammed Mumuni, E.T. Mensah, Moses Asaga, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Kwesi Ahwoi.

Dr Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor, MP for Nandom and Majority Leader in Parliament, is penciled for the newly-Christened Ministry of Government Business In Parliament which once went by the name Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong has been nominated Minister for Justice and Attorney-General. She was a member of the Ghana@50 Commission. She is said to be in private practice with LithurBrew and Co.

Mrs Appiah-Oppong is a member of President Mahama’s legal team at the Supreme Court where the petition challenging his election is being heard.

Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah has been nominated for the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.

Some youth in the Western Region had earlier suggested that a native of the region be made the Minister of the newly-created Oil and Gas Ministry.

Dzifa Attivor, who until her nomination was deputy Minister of Transport, would be vetted for the substantive position as Minister of Transport.

The MP for Korley Klottey in the Greater Accra Region and former regional minister Nii Armah Ashietey has been penciled for the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, a new tag for the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare. This position previously held by Moses Asaga.

From the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Ms. Hanny-Sherry Ayittey will move to the Ministry of Health after vetting by Parliament.

Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, Campaign Coordinator of the John Mahama campaign 2012, has been plucked from the Local Government Ministry where he was a deputy minister and sent to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for consideration as a substantive minister.

The above list comes on the heels of a previous one read on the floor of Parliament by Speaker Doe Adjaho.

With the submission of the second list to Parliament, the anxiety of expectant politicians in the NDC is intensifying as they wonder whether they would be considered at all.

The Ministry of the Interior, Defence, Tourism, and Energy, including regional ministers are some of the outstanding portfolios awaiting nomination by the President.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt the president is likely to create new ministries like Presidential Affairs to accommodate his lackeys, thereby making nonsense of cutting down the number of ministries as contained in the NDC manifesto.

For the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr. Raymond Atuguba, this is the first nomination he is releasing on behalf of his boss, the president.

The first batch of appointees including his own appointment was signed by the spokesperson to the president, John Jinapor.

By A.R. Gomda