Accra, July 30, GNA - Parliament on Monday declined the approval of three nominees of President John Agyekum Kufuor for Deputy Ministerial appointment citing reasons ranging from financial impropriety, integrity, inconsistency and loyalty to the nation.
The House after a heated exchange between Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader and Mr. Kwadwo Mpianim, Chief of Staff decided that it would defer the nomination of Mr Ken-Wuud Nuworsu and Ms. Victoria Bright who had been nominated for Deputy Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment and Deputy Minister at the Office of the President respectively. The was after Mr. Freddie Blay, Chairman of the Appointments Committee had presented the report of the Committee to the House indicating that they had disapproved the nomination of Reverend Dr. Akwasi Owusi Bi, Deputy Minister Designate for Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and PSI. The House however, approved 11 other nominees presented by the President.
Mr. Blay called the House's attention to the fact that Mr. Nuworsu was the only one whose nomination was approved by a majority vote. However, when the House was called to adopt the report, Mr Bagbin said he should not be given the nod until the Committee had been supplied with enough information on the nominee.
"We must wait till we have been fully furnished with information from the Serious Fraud Office, which should be given the opportunity to testify and their report on allegations against Mr. Nuworsu made available to the Committee. The same should be for CHRAJ and the Auditor-General's Report that made serious negative report on the nominee."
Mr. Bagbin said the Committee would not fight personal battles for any husband, but noted that the report before the committee showed that the nominee, when given the nod to serve the nation was found wanting in many respects.
"We should not be seen rewarding such disfunctionality and Parliament should be giving the signal that when individuals are given the opportunity, they must serve with a high degree of responsibility."
"We therefore should not give approval for Mr Nuworsu. We must go back to the Appointments Committee and go further into the report and confront him on the findings," he said, arguing: "There are precedents in this House where the Chairmen of Political parties were called in to testify."
Mr. Mpianim, who tried to talk on behalf of Mr Nuworsu, was halted on the point of locus standi.
Ms. Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children Affairs also tried in vain to argue that Mr Nuworsu had been approved by consensus, but other members said it was clear that the nominee only got a majority vote.
"As for Victoria Bright she is already in the President's Office, But she would not have the tag of a Minister," the Minority Leader said, pressing home that it was important for her nationality to be properly clarified.
He said he was of the opinion that, "there must be a further check up on Ms. Bright, noting that it was not enough for one to have denounced his or her citizenship just by filing a renunciation document."
Mr Bagbin said it was also found out that Ms. Bright filed her renunciation of British citizenship on July 16 and not 17th as she told the committee.
"I think there is a whole procedure to follow before you renounce citizenship. The Committee did not have the opportunity to access the nominee and when the Committee sought to know if she was even a registered voter, her initial reaction was a show of arrogance that sent the members very peeved.
"It is proper we re-examine the nominee," he added.
On Reverend Owusu-Bi, the Committee by a majority vote disapproved his nomination citing untruths and inconsistencies in his submissions. Mr. Bagbin, in seconding the motion said he had problems with the nominee since, "it is important for us to know the kind of pastor we are dealing with."
Moving a motion for the House to adopt the report of the Committee, Mr. Freddie Blay, Chairman of the Appointments Committee said they approved the 11 after they had met its requirements by consensus according to Standing Order 172, Section 4.
Mr. Alban Kingsford Bagbin, Minority Leader, in seconding the motion said it was important for the House not to be seen as rewarding wrongdoing by nominees when they were entrusted with public office. The nominees approved are Mr. Abraham Ossei-Aidooh, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Ms Esther Obeng Dapaah, Minister Lands, Forestry and Mines, Mr Godfrey T. Bayon, Minister of State at Ministry of Transportation and Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations.
The others are Mr. Samuel Obodai, Deputy Minister, Central Region, Mr. Ofosu Asamoah, Deputy Minister Eastern Region and Mrs. Agnes Chigabatia, Deputy Minister, Upper East Region.
The rest are Mrs. Winifred Assibi Dy-Yakah, Deputy Minister Upper West Region, Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah, Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment and Mr. Frank Agyekum, Deputy Minister of Information and National Orientation.
Mr. Nuworsu and Ms. Bright's nomination were deferred in order to enable the Committee make further findings on them.
The Committee blocked Rev. Owusu-Bi nomination because he, among other issues proved to be inconsistent and untruthful in his submissions to the Committee.
He also told the Committee that he called himself reverend even though he had no formal training in theology. He said he was however, ordained by a church in the USA.
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