31 Ministerial Nominees Get The Nod

...Quaye, Edumadze and Anane In Limbo
Parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved the first report of its Appointments Committee by endorsing 31 out of the 34 nominees President John Agyekum Kufuor had earmarked for ministerial positions.

The Report signed by the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Freddy Blay said the Committee could not take a decision on three of the nominees because there was the need to conduct further checks on certain aspects of their testimony.

The three nominees are: Sheikh I.C Quaye, nominated for the position of Minister of Greater Accra Region, Dr Richard Anane of the Ministry of Road Transport and Mr Isaac Edumadze, Minister for Central Region.

The Report further said a Sub-Committee of the Appointments Committee had been constituted to look into the issues and report for an appropriate decision.

Moving the motion for the adoption of the Report, Mr Blay said the Committee received an unprecedented number of memoranda, which immensely assisted in its deliberations.

He said the retained Ministers were submitted to the rules and procedures in accordance with the relevant resolution of the House.

"To be able to continue to improve our performance in a manner that would uphold the dignity and Independence of this House as a Separate arm of Government, then its crucial to enhance the Committee's technical and resource capacity".


Mr Freddy Blay said: "It may be necessary to arrange a transitional calendar in such a way as to allow the house sufficient time to thoroughly execute its constitutional duty."


The Minority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin said the Committee did their job with a clear conscience, even though, there were pressures from some quarters "to do the wrong thing but that did not affect our work".


"It was a great improvement over the previous one, we have come a long way and I think we are growing," he said.

He said some of them received insults, attacks as well as condemnations from radio stations and phone calls, which he said were very unfortunate.


He commended the Media for the covering the Committee's sitting and urged them to assist Parliament by informing the constituents to know the role of Parliament.


The first batch of the 31 nominees that received the endorsement of Parliament appeared before the House on Monday January 24 2005. They included

Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Senior Minister; Mr Felix Owusu-Agyepong, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Education and Sports; Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of The Interior; Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning; Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence; Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Works and Housing.

Those who also got the nod of Parliament were: Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister of Health; Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City; Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines; Mr Kwamina Bartels, Minister of Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiatives; Mr Samson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister; Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs and Mr Ernest Akobouh Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture.

The others were: Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Harbours and Railways; Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Communication; Mr Charles Bintim, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development; Mr Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry; Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries; Mr Boniface Saddique Abu-Bakar, Northern Regional Minister; Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister; Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister; Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Western Regional Minister and Mr Daniel Botwe, Minister of Information.


The rest were: Mr Yaw Barimah, Eastern Regional Minister; Mr Boniface Gambila, Upper East Regional Minister; Professor Aaron Mike Ocquaye, Minister of Energy; Mr Ayikoi Otoo, Attorney General and Minister of Justice; Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister of Manpower, Youth and Development and Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister.