Parliament has approved President Akufo-Addo’s nomination of nine Ministers of State.
In his first ministerial reshuffle since 2017, the President appointed Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye as the Minister of Health, Lydia Seyram Alhassan as the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, and Dakoa Newman as the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, among others.
The House also approved the nominated Deputy Ministers of State.
Prior to the approval, the Minority in Parliament staged a walkout in protest against the approval of President Akufo-Addo’s Ministers and Deputy Ministers-designate.
They argue that the current economic and power crises are due to the government’s mismanagement, and that decisive action is needed instead of new ministerial appointments.
Speaking before the adoption of the Appointments Committee report, Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson declared that the caucus cannot support the approval of the nominees.
“Mr Speaker, the Minority does not support the nominations of these ministers, because of what the country has gone through and continues to go through, including economic crisis, food insecurity, “dumsor”, and reckless borrowing.
“Businesses are struggling. While the government has asked Ghanaians to tighten their belts, the government has loosened its belts.
“Piling up ministers and deputies does not signal to the Ghanaians the president understands the seriousness of the mess created.”
Full list of Ministerial and deputy Ministerial nominees
Health Hon. Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye; Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ophelia Mensah Hayford; Information Ms. Fatimatu Abubakar, Gender; Children and Social Protection Dakoa Newman; Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah; Sanitation and Water Resources Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan; Tourism, Arts and Culture Hon. Andrew Egyapa Mercer, MP, Greater Accra Region Hon. Titus Glover, Oti Region Mr. Daniel Machator.
The deputy ministerial nominees are for Information Sylvester Tetteh, MP; Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Vincent Ekow Assafuah; Communications and Digitalisation Hon. Charles Acheampong; Health Adelaide Ntim, MP Alexander Akwasi Acquah; Works and Housing Hon. Dr. Prince Hamidu Armah; Lands and Natural Resources, Akwasi Konadu; Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Hon. Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaba; Energy John Kobina Sanie, Collins Adomako Mensah; Education Kingsley Nyarko; Employment and Labour Relations Hon. Festus Awuah Kwofie; Gender, Children and Social Protection Hon. Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah.”
