Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, has expressed his disappointment in the approval of ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Dr Apaak stated the opposition lawmakers have yet again failed to live up to expectations.
“Approval of Ministers – Most devastating and disappointing outcome. Greed and treachery is our bane. Yet again we have failed to live up to expectations. The traitors will sure be exposed by their collaborators in no time.”
Clement Apaak
Following the approval of the ministerial appointees, founding President of Imani Africa Mr Franklin Cudjoe has blamed the defeat of the minority in the just-ended voting on the ministerial nominees on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership in Parliament and out of Parliament.
He questioned the unity level of the party based on the decision reached by some of its members on the ministerial approvals undertaken.
“The NDC party leadership in Parliament and out of Parliament lost the vote. Will they ever be united and deliver on the many vexed issues Ghanaians want? Or the NPP just outsmarted them again? 2024 is slipping away…”
Franklin Cudjoe
Reactions on approval of ministers
Meanwhile, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Mustapha Gbande, has revealed that the Minority MPs who voted for the approval of the ministerial nominees must be dealt with. He explained that “there is a need to launch an intense investigation to get names of those who voted against the minority decision. Such MPs must be taken out of Parliament”.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on the other hand, congratulated all the ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after they were approved by the House in a vote on Friday, March 24.
The Speaker expressed a sigh of relief after the collation of votes ended and expressed his “congratulations” to the six new appointees.
“The register of 275 eligible voters, 3 voters were absent so 272 did exercise their franchise. The results of the voting are as follows; Honorable KT Hammond 154 Yes, 116 Nos, rejected 1, Bryan Acheampong, 167 Yes, 98 Nos, rejected 4, abstention 3. Stephen Asamoah Boateng 147 Yes, 122 Nos, 3 abstentions. Mohammed Amin Adams 152 Yes, 117 Nos, rejected 1, abstentions 2. Osei Bonsu Amoah 149 Yes, 120 Nos, abstentions 3, Stephen Amoah 146 yes, 123 nos, 3 absentions.
“The House has accordingly approved the nominations of the following persons as ministers and a deputy minister in accordance with 79(1) of the constitution.”
Alban Bagbin
Prior to the vote there was heated exchanges regarding the report of the Appointments Committee on the recent vetting of the nominees.
While the Majority pressed home the demand for the report to be taken on Thursday evening, the Minority members on the Committee denied knowledge of the report, asking for more time to study it. This led the House to suspend proceedings to allow the Minority Group study the 63-page report for the debate.
After the debate, Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin postponed putting the question on the motion for the approval or otherwise of the nominees.
Moments following this, Tamale Central MP Murtala Muhammed, vowed that he along with his colleagues on the minority side will do everything possible to ensure President Akufo-Addo’s new nominations to ministerial and other government posts do not get approval.
According to him, not only are the minority members determined that the government does not add to its already bloated size, but the minority will also ensure two other nominees to the Supreme Court, do not get approval.
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