Ministerial nominees’ approval debacle is indication democracy at work - ACEPA

The African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), has affirmed that the debacle with the struggle to approve ministers and deputies recently appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the excesses of democracy that must be embraced.

“Democracy can sometimes be messy with bitter lessons but so long as it is what the country has signed up for, it must be upheld in good fate, protected and safeguarded,” it explained.

According to the Centre, democracy could sometimes be messy and people who believe in it would have to live with that messy part of it and that was what the nation was and is now seeing because, over the years, both parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are used to the convenience of having numbers and bulldozing their way through in Parliament.

Dr. Rasheed Draman, the Executive Director of ACEPA, cautioned that there could be a worse scenario where the country would elect a president in the Jubilee House and there would be a different party with majority in Parliament.

He averred that though substantial proportion of the population may think the Minority was deliberately kicking against the approval of the nominees, they had made their intentions for the disapproval the day the nominations were announced by President Akufo-Addo.

“Every discerning Ghanaian will think the Minority Caucus is unnecessarily blocking the government because they are looking for power but they had put out their demands that instead of appointing more ministers, the government should try to rationalise and try to combine some ministries and I do not think that is so much to ask for,” Dr. Draman pointed out.

Parliament resorted to secret balloting to have the president’s ministers and deputy minister nominees approved on Friday.

They were Kobina Tahir Hammond, Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa Constituency in the Ashanti Region, who was confirmed as Minister of Trade and Industry with 154 YES votes as against 116 NO votes, while Dr. Stephen Amoah, MP for Nhyiaeso Constituency in the Ashanti Region was approved as Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry after polling 146 YES votes against 123 NO votes.

The rest were Bryan Acheampong MP for Abetifi Constituency in the Eastern Region, who was approved as the Minister of Food and Agriculture with 167 YES votes and 98 NO votes, Mohammed Amin Adam, MP for Karaga Constituency in the Northern Region, was okayed as Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance with 152 YES votes and 117 NO votes;

Stephen Asamoah Boateng the new Minister for Religious and Chieftaincy Affairs garnered 144 YES votes and 122 NO votes while Osei Bonsu Amoah polled 149 YES votes and 120 NO as Minister of State to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, having garnered 149 YES votes and 120 NO votes.