President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo by virtue of the 1992 constitutional has appointed some individuals to Head key Ministries under his government.
A first batch of 13 ministers designate was released on Tuesday, a second batch of 12 came on Wednesday and a third batch considered to be the final list of 11 was announced on Thursday making total portfolios of 36.
Among the ministries are new portfolios such as the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, Railway Development, Regional Reorganization and Development, Senior Minister portfolio, National security, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Special Development Initiative, Aviation Ministry, Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development and Ministry of Business Development.
Many Ghanaians have criticized the President for creating jobs for his ‘boys’ hence a drain on the public purse. This list making up of cabinet ministers excludes deputy and regional ministers designate.
While these individuals are receiving congratulatory messages from family and love ones for being recognized to serve in the Akufo Addo government, it is worth notifying that they will go through ‘scrutiny’ by the vetting committee of the parliament of Ghana. A 26 member committee made up of the majority and minority in parliament was constituted on Tuesday, 10th January and tasked to vet the nominees for the various portfolios.
It might be gratifying to be appointed by the number one gentleman of the land to serve the good people of Ghana. However, some individuals who were appointed for some ministries in the erstwhile governments were disqualified for various reasons.
Oti Bless who was appointed deputy minister for local government and rural development under former president John Dramani Mahama was challenged by the vetting committee over his missing certificates and having not undertaken the mandatory national service. Mr. Oti again whose nomination was in limbo following his unsubstantiated allegations against the Chief Justice and other Justices of the Supreme Court. Fortunately on his part, he sailed through the vetting committee to become the sector deputy.
In 2000, Lawrence Akwasi Agyeman Prempeh, a deputy minister designate for the Ashanti region was disqualified for holding dual citizenship. The nominee’s disqualification was of the backdrop that he holds both Ghanaian and American citizenship contrary to the constitution which forbids potential members of parliament and ministers from holding dual citizenship.
Although the committee is not supposed to witch hunt appointees by disqualify them for whatever reason(s), it is rare in recent times that persons nominated for ministerial positions get disqualified. Mostly, political lecturers and critics across the country who on occasions considered a president’s ministerial appointees as competent maybe the reasons the committee finds no justification to disqualify them.
The vetting committee which is made up of members of parliament has colleagues and friends who are appointed to be in charge of the ministries. It is in this regard that it is very possible for one to be considered a minister immediately one’s name forms part the president ministerial list.
It will also be impossible for the majority that has a greater representation in the committee to reject the president’s choice for the various portfolios. The minority on the other hand which had it smoothly during their tenure as the saying goes “do to others good as you wish of them” will also offer their best to the incumbent as a show of gratitude.
Although past vetting committees have done ‘diligent’ job by ‘scrutinizing’ individuals to manage the affairs at various ministries of which the recent vetting committee is expected to emulate, it will not be wrong to say the constitutional ‘ritual’ has lost its merit. The vetting committees according to many critics have been toothless to bit paving way for appointees to sail through ‘successfully’.
By: Joshua Asaah|A1radioonline.com|Ghana
