President Nana Akufo-13 Addo’s ministerial nominations were approved by Parliament by a majority vote and consensus.
While 10 applications were accepted by consensus, three outliers were approved by a plurality vote following lengthy debate on proposals made by the Appointments Committee. Those with votes obtained were Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Information Minister-designate; Hawa Koomson, Fisheries and Aquacults Minister-designate; and Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Agriculture Minister-designate.
The legislators reviewed the draft for several hours on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, and into the early hours of Thursday, March 4, 2021. Following that, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin gave the MPs the opportunity to vote whether or not to support the three by secret balloting.
Read Also: Supreme Court will issue its decision on the Election Petition today
A total of 265 ballots were cast at the close of the elections.
Mavis Hawa Kooomson received 161 YES votes, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah received 155 YES votes and Owusu Afriyie Akoto received 143 YES votes for a total of 343 YES votes.
Members of the NDC’s Appointments Committee had previously voted against the nominations of Oppong Nkrumah, Afriyie Akoto, and Hawa Koomsoon due to concerns posed during their vetting.
Sarah Adwo Safo, minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection; Matthew Opoku Premeh, minister-designate for Energy; Dr. Yaw Adutwum, minister-designate for Education; and Dominic Nitiwul, minister-designate for Defence were among the ministers confirmed by consensus on the floor of the house.
Albert Kan Dapaah, minister-designate for National Security; Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, minister-designate for Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration; Dan Botwe, minister-designate for Local Government, Decentralization & Rural Development; and Ambrose Dery, minister-designate for Interior are the others.
Minister-designate for Jobs and Labour Relations Ignatius Barfour Awuah and Minister-designate for Parliamentary Affairs Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu were both unanimously accepted.
Source: ATLFMNEWSROOM
