The first batch of vetted ministerial nominees of President Akufo-Addo will now sail through Parliament smoothly.
The minority members of the appointments committee who rejected the 9 ministerial nominees have now rescinded their decision.
In an earlier report of the appointments committee in possession of Starr News, the committee had recommended to the plenary the approval of the nominees by majority decision following the rejection by the NDC MPs.
However, another report in possession of Starr News how has now cleared Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer headed for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Minister designated for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah nominated as the minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Health Minister-designate Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, Information Minister Designate Fatimatu Abubakar and for others cleared to be approved by consensus.
The development means their nominations will be approved by a simple voice vote instead of a secret ballot.
The earlier decision by the minority would have meant rejection of the nominees by the plenary if all 137 MPs on its side had voted against them given the demise of Ejisu MP Dr. John Kumah which evens the numbers.
At the beginning of President Akufo-Addo’s second term, some of his appointees including Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto were rejected by the minority at the committee.
They however received an overwhelming endorsement from some of the NDC MPs in the plenary during voting by secret ballot.
A similar development took place when the party directed the minority MPs to reject replacements of ministers who had resigned to contest the NPP Presidential Primaries such as KT Hammond, Bryan Acheampong among others.
It is however unclear if the above developments have informed the decision by the minority to walk back on the rejection this time around despite the arguments President Akufo-Addo’s government is still bloated and thus would not assist him to further populate it 9 months to an election.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ibrahim Alhassan
