Parliament has approved two ministerial nominees and three Supreme Court nominees submitted by President John Dramani Mahama in accordance with Article 78(1) of the 1992 Constitution.
The ministerial nominees are the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mr Mahama Ayariga, as Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and the MP for Korley Klottey, Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, as Minister of Environment, Science and Technology.
The three Supreme Court nominees are Justice Sophia Rosetta Oduokuwa Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and Mr Anthony Forson Jnr.
The approval followed the adoption of the report of Parliament’s Appointments Committee on the vetting of the five nominees on Thursday.
The report was presented to the House by the Chairman of the Committee and MP for Akatsi South, Mr Bernard Ahiafor.
Contributing to the report on the two ministerial nominees, the MP for Builsa North, Mr James Agalga, and the Minority Chief Whip, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said Mr Ayariga and Dr Agyemang-Rawlings had demonstrated the competence required to address challenges confronting their respective ministries.
Following their approval, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, pledged the support of the House to enable them to deliver on their mandates.
“You are going to wear additional hats and that is not going to be easy. You have to combine your role as MPs, ministers of state and also what you are leaving behind here, you have to carry that along. We are all available to support to make sure that you deliver on your mandates,” Mr Bagbin said.
However, the adoption of the report on the Supreme Court nominees was contested by the Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who argued that the report did not bear his signature or reflect the views of the Minority.
He said the Committee’s draft report should have been made available to both the Chairperson and Ranking Member to ensure that their respective views were captured.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also said the Minority members had tendered the verbatim report on the vetting, which he relied on in raising a preliminary objection, but that it was not reflected in the final report.
Mr Ahiafor dismissed the claim, saying all issues raised by Mr Afenyo-Markin were captured on pages two to 13 of the report.
He further said Mr Afenyo-Markin failed to tender any verbatim report or document to the Committee and that none of the Minority members was present when the Committee took a decision on the report, despite attempts to reach them.
Mr Bagbin, in addressing the concerns, cautioned MPs against involving Parliamentary Service staff in their disagreements, stressing that the staff remained non-partisan.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
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