Parliament right in approving Otiko – Oppong Nkrumah

Parliament has done nothing wrong in approving the nomination of Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba, the MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah argues.

According to him, the majority caucus in the chamber followed the laws of the land to the letter, stressing that there was no illegality committed contrary to the minority’s stance that the approval process was fraught with improprieties.

The MP for Sagnarigu, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini has accused the speaker of parliament, Mike Oquaye of bias, engaging in “crass illegality” in ruling for the approval of Otiko Djaba to be subjected to secret balloting.

Parliament following a ruling from the speaker subjected the approval of the Gender, Children and Social Protection minister designate to a secret balloting following persistent protest against her by the minority.

The ruling by the speaker, according to A.B.A Fuseini, was a clear violation of the country’s laws with impunity insisting that Ms. Djaba’s failure to do National Service disqualifies her to be a minister of state.

“We are building and consolidating a democracy and democracy is anchored on a rule of law. It is not about the partisan political interest of parties. So Even when we know we are at the wrong side of the law as a party we should be bold enough to admit it and go back and correct and do the right thing,” he told Accra-based Citi FM on Tuesday.

In his reaction, Oppong-Nkrumah disagreed with the minority’s stance stating that the speaker’s charge to the Appointments Committee was based on Article 94 of the Constitution.

The minority he said failed to competently state their reservations against Otiko Djaba in the written report after vetting.

“The minority leader grounded his objections on the fact that she did not have the right temperament. It is my view that temperament is an extraneous matter. If today we disqualify someone based on temperament, tomorrow somebody will say height or complexion; so in my opinion what the law spells out is what we must do,” Oppong-Nkrumah told Citi FM.