Approval of ministerial nominees: Do serious soul searching- Mahama tells NDC Parliamentary Caucus
Former President John Dramani Mahama has advised members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Caucus to do "serious soul-searching and learn to place national interest over their personal interest".
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The call comes after Parliament on Friday voted to approve six ministerial nominees.
It was a secret voting.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the party level had taken a position not to approve the nominations citing the economic challenges facing the country.
It is the NDC’s position that the President should reduce the number of his appointees and should therefore not be appointing new ministers to fill vacant positions but rather merge ministries.
The NDC has 136 seats but 135 eligible votes because of the court case with Assin North.
The NPP has 137 but two of their members were absent.
In total there were 275 eligible voters, with three absentees, so in all 272 MP cast their ballot.
Mr Hammond went through with 154 votes in his favour, with 116 voting against his nomination for appointment, and one each rejected ballot and an absentee.
Mr Amoah polled 149 ‘Yes’ votes, 120 ‘No’ votes and three absentees, while Dr Amoah secured 146 votes in his favour, 123 ‘No’ votes and three abstentions.
The rest are Dr Amin Adam, who secured 152 approval votes, 117 ‘No’ votes, one rejected ballot and two abstentions, Mr Asamoah Boateng secured 147 votes in his favour, 122 against his appointment, leaving three abstentions, while Dr Acheampong went through with 167 votes in his favour, 98 against, four rejected ballots and three abstentions.
Prior to the voting process, the Majority's 137 membership was reduced by two, with MP for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, and the MP for Kumawu, Philip Barsoa, being absent.
Ms Safo has been a longtime absentee for unexplained reasons, while Barsoa was suddenly taken ill.
One other person from the Majority side, Ebenezer Kojo Kum, who is the MP for Ahanta West, in spite of being under the weather, was forced to come to the House to make up the numbers for the battle to see the President’s nominations through.
He was served his ballot paper per the directive of the Speaker to enable him to vote.
NDC members
This is indicative that some of the NDC MPs voted to approve the ministerial nominees against what the party had advocated.
This is what has ignited a reaction from the former President.
“Those responsible for this betrayal must do some serious soul searching and learn to place national interest over personal interest”, he wrote on his official Facebook page on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
He added that the MPs have disappointed Ghanaians given the principled stance they took a few weeks ago to reject the nominees in order to force the government to reduce its size.
"Unfortunately, Ghanaians were sorely disappointed yesterday when several members of the Minority for some parochial and personal interest voted against the principled position adopted by the party. I am also disappointed".
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