Parliament endorses Fifi Kwetey's nomination

Accra, March 28, GNA - By a vote of 117 to 106, Parliament Friday night approved the nomination of Mr Fifi Kwetey as a Deputy Minister- designate for Finance and Economic Planning. A heated and prolonged debate heralded his endorsement, which saw the House going into a long voting procedure after the Minority had rejected a head count of members.

Moving the motion for the approval of Mr Kwetey, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament said the Committee carried out its duty diligently in accordance to the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House with respect to the nomination of Mr. Kwetey.

He said the committee, having satisfied itself that the nominee has fully met the requirement of the Constitution and called on members of the House to approve the nomination of Mr Kwetey. The Minority, however, called on the House to reject the nominee based on various reasons.

The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the integrity of people nominated to hold public office matters should be established and that members of the House should be discerning and consider the interest of the nation by doing what was right and reject the nominee. He said Mr. Kwetey made false allegations against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and when his attention was drawn to that he replied that what he said was true and that given the opportunity he would do it again.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu described Mr Kwetey's rhetoric's as "improper and unfortunate," adding that, the nominee did not show any humility during the vetting, which does not augur well for someone seeking public office.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, NPP member for Manhyia said the nominee's behaviour during his vetting was not a good example for the youth and the nation as a whole.

He said Mr. Kwetey appeared before the Committee "not as an individual but as a party and even refused to swear the oath with the excuse that he does not tell liar."

"President Evans Atta Mills even swore an oath not because he was a liar but that it was an onerous obligation to Ghanaians" and advised the President to replace Mr Kwetey with another person.

Mr. Isaac Asiamah, NPP-Atwima-Mponua said the nominee told lies to the Committee by saying that, the NPP government had sold the gold reserves of the country, which turnout to be untrue and wondered how such a person could be reward with a position as a Minister of Finance.

He called for Mr. Kwetey's rejection to save the nation and Parliament from embarrassment. Mr Dominic Azumah, NDC-Garu-Tempane urged the House to approve Mr Kwetey's nomination and described him as a dynamic, young and decent gentleman. He said Mr Kwetey has learnt his lessons and must be given the chance to exhibit qualities for the benefit of the nation.

Mr Inusah Abdulai Fuseini, NDC-Tamale Central said throughout the Minority's argument that Mr Kwetey should be rejected, none of them doubted his qualification to hold the position.

He said they only talked about news reports attributed to Mr Kwetey, which the nominee did not invent and cited an example of one of such stories the nominee got from a Daily Graphic report way back in 1996. At a point during the debate, the Minority members started shouting "We want Asaga, we want Asaga," indicating that they preferred Mr Moses Asaga, NDC-Nabdam and former Deputy Minister of Finance to Mr Kwetey. Three other Deputy Ministers were unanimously approved by the House.

They are Dr Kwesi Akyem Apea-Kubi, Deputy Minister-designate for Interior; Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, Deputy Minister-designate for Transport and Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister-designate for Local Government and Rural development. 28 March 09