Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, jumped to the top spot of social media trends last night after he was rejected by the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

Information indicates that the nominations of Oppong Nkrumah, Hawa Koomson and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto have been rejected by the committee after their vetting.

The reports state that Oppong Nkrumah was rejected because some committee members believe he was dishonest with his answers on some key issues.

One issue that cost him outright disapproval was his connection with television station MX24.

It is believed that while Oppong Nkrumah denied any affiliation with the media house, some members of the committee are firm in their conviction that he is the owner of the company.

His role in the contempt charge of former Deputy Attorney General Dominic Ayine by the seven justices of the Supreme Court sitting on the 2020 election petition has also been cited as a reason for his rejection.

Below are some reactions from Twitter to the news about Mr Nkrumah’s Rejection.

Source: GhanaWeb

Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper has opined that the Appointments Committee of Parliament cannot have the final say in the approval or disapproval of any of the ministerial nominees.

According to him, the Appointments Committee can only recommend to the plenary about which nominees to approve or disapprove and the final decision must be made “by consensus or majority decision by the plenary”.

Commenting on a Facebook post by US-based Ghanaian lawyer Stephen Kwaku Asare aka Kweku Azar, who suggested that the disapproval of Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah by the Appointments Committee, which Kweku Azar thinks the Majority of the plenary should reverse, Baako wrote: “but the Appointments Committee does not and cannot have a final say relative to the approval or disapproval process per the Standing Orders! It can only recommend approval by consensus or majority decision by the plenary.

Baako added: “My research findings (so far) show that it is/was on only one occasion that it “unanimously” recommended outright disapproval/rejection of a nominee to the plenary. Even then, some amendments had to be effected on the Committee’s report at the plenary. “De jure no. De facto yes” notwithstanding! Respectfully!!”

The Appointments Committee of Parliament has disapproved President Akufo-Addo’s candidates of ministers-nominee for Food and Agriculture, Information and Fisheries, namely Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Hawa Koomson, respectively, according to sources that cite Asaase Radio 99.5FM.

Source: GhanaWeb

The Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability, Mensah Thompson has cautioned the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to ensure the safety of the coronavirus vaccine before he takes it.

According to Mensah Thompson, the Speaker must allow his personal physician to access the safety of the vaccine before he takes it.

The ASEPA boss believes that the government cannot be trusted since they did everything possible including chewing of ballot papers to prevent Bagbin from becoming speaker of parliament.

“If I were the Speaker of Parliament until my personal physician certifies my vaccine shot I am not taking it. I cannot even accept a bottle of water from the very people who chewed ballot papers just to make sure I wasn’t elected as Speaker, how much more a vaccine shot.” Mensah Thompson of ASEPA wrote.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com