17 Ministers Vie For NPP Seats

About 17 Ministers in the NPP government, who are not MPs, have expressed their interest to contest the 2004 Parliamentary elections in a move seen as “justify your inclusion in the next government”.

The Ministers are among the 250 aspiring Parliamentary candidates nationwide who have filed their nominations to stand on NPP ticket in constituencies where the party has no MPs, after paying their nominations fees of ?5million.

Independent MPs or CPP and PNC MPs are not among the list, as the party has not taken a final decision on the status of such constituencies. The Ministers include Professor Christopher Ameyaw- Ekumfi who has secured the Techiman North ticket unchallenged; Professor Kassim Kasanga, Minister of Environment and Science for Nadowli South; Dr Kweku Afriyie Minister of Health, Sefwi Wiawso and the Volta Regional Minister, Kwasi Owusu Yeboah, who has filed for the Biakoye constituency.

The two Deputy Ministers of Information, Stephen Asamoah-Boateng and Andrew Awuni are also seriously seeking to go to Parliament, among others.

Nominations for constituencies that are occupied by NPP MPs have been put off until June next year, by which time more Ministers would be expected to join the race, especially in the Ashanti region.

So far, Ministers who have not shown interest are Cecilia Bannerman, Mines Minister; Major Courage Quashigah, Minister of Food and Agriculture and Allan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade, Industry and President’s Special Initiative.

At the close of nominations in August, the NPP was richer by ?1.25 billion. The Volta Region alone contributed ?255 million from the 51 aspirants.