Document sighted by 3news.com has confirmed that Senior Minister-designate, Mr. Osafo Maafo and four others whose approval was delayed by Parliament have been cleared to be sworn in by the president today.
The approval of Mr. Osafo Maafo in particular was not arrived without a divided front. There was a disagreement between the Minority and Majority in Parliament over certain ethnocentric comments he was alleged to have made prior to the 2016 general elections.
An allegation he flatly denied during his vetting last week, insisting the audio recording purporting that he made those comments was doctored by his detractors to cause him disaffection. He therefore refused to apologise based on ‘false allegation’.
Though the Minority had insisted that he brought the full tape for their hearing, it appears to be irrelevant now as President Akufo-Addo was set to swear him in.
Meanwhile, Mr. Boakye Agyarko who also had some issues with his claim that the previous government entered into an agreement without backing it with evidence at his vetting, was approved without much controversy.
Three others who were approved and would be sworn in are: Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyeman Manu; Minister designate for Agriculture, Owusu Akoto Afriyie; and Education Minister-designate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
The five adds up to 13, the number approved by Parliament. Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister-designate for National Security; Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister-designate for Finance; Mr Dominic Nitiwul, Minister-designate for Defence; and Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister-designate for the Interior.
The rest are: Ms Gloria Akuffo, Minister-designate for Attorney-General and Justice; Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Minister-designate for Trade and Industry; Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs; and Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister-designate for Local Government and Rural Development.
However, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, who is travelling to Ethiopia for the AU summit, would not be sworn-in today, Nana kweku Aduah, TV3 presidential correspondent noted.
By Isaac Essel |3news.com|Ghana