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

The Appointments Committee of Parliament has failed to approve the appointments of ministers-designate for Food and Agriculture, Information and Fisheries Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Hawa Koomson respectively.

According to pro-government network Asaase Radio, the 26-member committee could not arrive at a unanimous decision for the three which means their approval must go to the plenary.

The report stated that the minority side of the committee was not happy with Oppong Nkrumah, accusing him of instigating the Supreme Court judges to cite Dr. Dominic Ayine for contempt in the ongoing Election 2020 petition hearing.

“In the case of the Minister for Food and Agriculture-designate, Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto, members of the Minority side of the Appointments Committee accused him of being arrogant when he appeared before the committee and on that basis, they will not approve of his nomination.

“On Koomson, the Minority side of the Appointments Committee, are of the opinion that she is not fit for the job,” Asaase Radio reported.

Meanwhile, 22 other ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have been unanimously approved by the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

However, the Committee is seeking clarification on five others. They are Roads and Highways portfolio Kwesi Amoako-Atta, Minister-designate for Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Attorney General-designate, Godfred Yeboah Dame and John Peter Amewu, Minister-designate for Railways Development.

Source: Daily Mail