Parliament approves another set of deputy ministers

Parliament on Thursday approved 17 deputy ministers vetted by the Appointments Committee.

The House last Friday approved 11, bringing the total number of approved deputy ministers to 28, out of the 50 announced by the President last month.

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, said the House approved the Deputy Ministers by consensus “in accordance with Article 79(1) of the Constitution.”

Below are the new set of Deputy ministers approved:

1 Joseph Dinkiok Kpemka Read – Deputy Attorney General

2 Godfred Dame – Deputy Attorney General

3 Kwabena Owusu Aduomi – Deputy minister of Roads and Highways

4 Anthony N-Yoh Puowele Karbo – Deputy minister of Roads and Highways

5 Patricia Appiagyei – Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology and Innovation

6 Perry Curtis Kwabla Okudzeto – Deputy minister of Information

7 Osei Bonsu Amoah – Deputy minister of Local Government and Rural Dev’t

8 Nii Kwartei Titus Glover – Deputy minister of Transport

9 Barbara Ayisi Acher – Deputy minister for Education

10 Michael Yaw Gyato – Deputy minister of Water Resources and Sanitation

11 Benito Owusu Bio – Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources

12 Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu Tina Mensah – Deputy minister of Health

13 Kwaku Agyenim Boateng – Deputy minister of Railways Development

14 Kwabena O. Darko-Mensah – Deputy minister of Aviation

15 Robert Ahomka-Lindsey – Deputy minister of Trade and Industry

16 George Andah – Deputy minister of Communications

17 Mohammed Habbib Tijani – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration

50 deputy ministers

The President has been criticized for appointing 50 deputy ministers, thus bringing the total number of ministers in his administration to 110.

Although Akufo-Addo defended his decision, some Ghanaians believe the ministers are too many considering the size of the Ghanaian economy.

Minority boycotts Appointments Committee

The Minority members on the Appointments Committee on Wednesday, boycotted sittings claiming that they need time to properly investigate the deputy minister nominees before vetting them.

However, the majority went ahead with the screening without the minority members. Meanwhile, Parliament is expected to go on recess tomorrow, Friday, and return in May, 2017.