The Appointments Committee of Parliament will start the vetting of five nominations by the President to various positions.
They are Mahama Ayariga, who has been nominated as the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs designate, and Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology designate.
The rest, who have been nominated for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court, are Justice Sophia Bernasko-Essah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal; Justice Edward Amoako Asante, a Court of Appeal Justice and former President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, and Anthony Forson Jnr, a private legal practitioner and former President of the Ghana Bar Association.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who announced this to the reconvened Parliament last Monday, explained that those nominations and the need to consider urgent public bills were the reasons for recalling the House for the next five days.
He said the President, per a request contained in a letter dated August 11 this year, asked Parliament to consider those matters of state.
The Speaker also read a letter from the President dated August 7, this year, communicating his reassignment of Kenneth Agyei as Minister of Defence, and Ahmed Ibrahim as Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, and a fresh appointment of Dr Zanetor to the Ministry of Environment.
Mr Bagbin referred the nominees to the Appointments Committee for consideration and report.
“I also wish to inform Parliament that following consultation with the leadership of the National Democratic Congress, James Agalga (MP) has been designated acting Majority Leader nominated,” he quoted the President’s letter as saying.
The Speaker also informed the House about an August 21, 2026 communication from the President about the nominations for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court, after consultations with the Judicial Council.
He referred the nominees to the Appointments Committee for consideration and report to the House within the next five days of the recall.
Urgent bill
Besides the nominations, the President also requested the House to consider the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions (Amendment) Bill.
The Speaker said on receipt of the requests, he carefully considered the matters placed before him and the reasons advanced for their urgent consideration.
Mr Bagbin said the authority conferred on the Speaker under Order 58-4 of the Standard Orders of Parliament necessarily involved the exercise of judgement and discretion.
Mr Bagbin indicated to the members that a particular significance in his consideration was the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions (Amendment) Bill.
He said the brief from the President on the subject matter of the bill had important implications for the urgent regulation, stability and functioning of the financial sector of Ghana’s economy.
“I was, therefore, satisfied that a matter of this character, having regard to the urgency represented and its potential implications for the financial sector and the economy, warranted the attention of Parliament without waiting for the ordinary resumption of the House scheduled for the middle of October 2026,” he said.
He, therefore, urged members of the House to limit the business of the House to what had been specifically requested by the President.
