Parliament approves Hawa Koomson, Oppong Nkrumah, 11 other ministerial nominees

Parliament has by a majority decision and consensus approved the nomination of 13 ministerial nominees of President Nana Akufo-Addo.

While 10 were approved by consensus, three were approved by a majority vote on the floor of the house after extensive debate on recommendations made by the Appointments Committee.

Those whose approvals were secured through a vote were Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, minister-designate for Information; Hawa Koomson, minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture and Owusu Afriyie Akoto, minister-designate for Food and Agriculture.

The legislators spent several hours from Wednesday, March 3, 2021, into the dawn of Thursday debating the report.

After that process was done, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, gave the MPs the opportunity to decide whether or not to approve the three through secret balloting.

At the end of the polls, 265 total votes were cast.

Mavis Hawa Kooomson got approved by 161 YES votes to 104 NO votes, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah got approved by 155 YES votes to 110 NO votes and Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto got approved by 143 YES votes to 121 NO votes.

Members of the NDC on the Appointments Committee had earlier kicked against the approval of Oppong Nkrumah, Afriyie Akoto and Hawa Koomsoon over issues they raised against the nominees during their vetting.

The Ministers who were approved by consensus on the floor of the house include Sarah Adwo Safo, minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection; Matthew Opoku Premeh, minister-designate for Energy; Dr. Yaw Adutwum, minister-designate for Education and Dominic Nitiwul; minister-designate for Defence.

The others are Albert Kan Dapaah, minister-designate for National Security; Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration minister-designate; Dan Botwe, Local Government, Decentralization & Rural Development minister-designate, Ambrose Dery, minister-designate for Interior.

Ignatius Barfour Awuah, the minister-designate for Employment, and Labour Relations and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, minister-designate for Parliamentary Affairs were also approved by consensus.