Vetting of ministerial nominees starts today
All is clear for the vetting of the first set of ministers designate by the Appointments Committee of Parliament.
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An initial threat by the Minority in Parliament to call for the postponement of the vetting because its members on the committee had not received the curriculum vitae (CVs) of the nominees was averted.
They were given the CVs later in the day by the Clerks of Parliament.
The Senior Minister designate, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo; the National Security Minister designate, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah; the Finance Minister designate, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Defence Minister designate, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, are scheduled to appear before the Appointments Committee today.
Earlier threats
Earlier, the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr James Avedzi, had told the Daily Graphic that if the Minority did not get the CVs by the end of yesterday, it would call for the postponement of the vetting.
He said the ministers-designate were supposed to submit their CVs to the Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, for onward presentation to the members of the committee.
Mr Avedzi said the CVs would furnish the members with information on who the nominees were, where they went to school, professional career and other detailed information about them.
Such information, he said, would guide the members of the committee on how to approach the nominees.
Later in the day, Mr Osei-Owusu told the Daily Graphic that the CVs had been put in the pigeonholes of the members long before the complaint.
He said following the complaint, he got in touch with the Chief Whip who also got in touch with the Clerks of Parliament to facilitate the release of the CVs to the Minority members.
Mr Avedzi confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the Minority had received the CVs and that all was clear for the vetting.
He said the CVs were released following the complaints by the Minority.
Ministers designate
Following his victory in the December 7, 2016 election and subsequent swearing in, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has nominated 36 ministers designate and forwarded the names to Parliament for consideration and approval.
As required, the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, had referred the nominees to the Appointments Committee for consideration and report.
Consequently, the committee had come up with a timetable for the vetting of the ministers designate, starting today.
On Saturday, January 21, the Attorney-General and Justice Minister designate, Ms Gloria Akuffo, and the Minister designate for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, will take their turn.
The Minister designate for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama; the Minister designate for Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; the Minister designate for Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and the Minister designate for Energy, Mr Emmanuel Boakye Agyarko, will be the next to be vetted on Monday, January 23, 2017.
The committee will then vet the Minister designate for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; the Minister designate for Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and the Minister designate for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.
After the vetting, the Appointments Committee will present its report to Parliament, recommending the approval or otherwise of the nominees by the House.
After the approval, the designated ministers will be sworn in by the President to officially begin work as ministers.