Vetting: Afriyie Akoto lied under oath, was offensively arrogant – NDC caucus

The Minority MPs on the Appointments Committee are rejecting the appointment of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as Minister for Food and Agriculture because, in their view, the minister-designate was “untruthful under oath” and “arrogant” before the committee.

Giving reasons for rejecting the President’s nominee, the NDC caucus noted in a statement that Dr. Afriyie “was untruthful under oath to the Committee on the circumstances leading to the abrogation of the Fruit and Export Terminal Contract of 2015 by GPHA on his express instructions as contained in a letter dated 11th January 2021.”

They added that he was untruthful again under oath about his directive ordering the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to issue a license to Fruit Terminal Company Limited and how his actions could lead to a US$50million judgement debt.

The NDC caucus continued that the nominee “was grossly insincere with the Appointments Committee on his special relationship with the Director of AMG Company Limited, Mr. Ernest Appiah, and the latter’s control of fertilizer contracts awarded by the Ministry.”

They again said the former Agric minister was particularly “discourteous, downright condescending and offensively arrogant in his appearance at the committee which is not the kind of attitude expected of public servants.”