General News of Thursday, 26 January 2017
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2017-01-26
Yaw Osafo-Marfo and Boakye Agyarko were not part of the nominees approved by the committee.
Two of five ministerial nominees whose approval was scuttled by Parliament’s Appointments Committee have submitted documentary evidence as part of a last ditch effort.
Senior Minister-designate Yaw Osafo-Marfo and Energy Minister-designate Boakye Agyarko stand to be approved Friday alongside the last three nominees vetted by the Committee.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei Owusu who chairs the Committee revealed this to Joy News’ Parliamentary Correspondent, Joseph Gakpo Thursday. He explained the two nominees have submitted material evidence to support some “statement that they have made [in the past].”
“Hopefully, we can lay [the report for their approval] tomorrow…we will add them to the last three nominees,” he said.
Parliament has approved eight ministerial nominees following a successful vetting by the Appointments Committee. The approved nominees include; Mr Albert Kan Dapaah , Minister Designate for National Security, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister Designate for Finance, Dominic Nitiwul, Minister Designate for Defence, Ambrose Dery Minister Designate for Interior, Ms Gloria Akuffo, Minister Designate for Attorney General and Justice.
The others are Alan Kyeremanten, Minister Designate for Trade and Industry, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway Minister designate for Foreign Affairs and Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister Designate for Local Government and Rural Development.
However, Mr Osafo Maafo, Mr Agyarko and three others were not part of the list recommended for approval by the Committee.
Energy Minister-designate Boakye Agyarko before the Appointments Committee The report was silent on the reason the approval of the five nominees was withheld.
But Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu said 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 of Ghana (EC) and Volta Revenue Authority (VRA).”
On the Senior Minister-designate, the former Employment Minister said the Committee wants to probe further some “issue of nation wrecking comment which should not be tolerated.”
Mr Iddrisu was emphatic that they withheld the approval of the two nominees because they want government officials to “know and appreciate the committee and give some factual information.”
Joy News has gathered an emergency meeting has been summoned by the Chairman of the Appointments Committee for members to peruse documents submitted by Mr Maafo and Mr Agyarko.
