Appointments Committee finally recommends Egyapa Mercer for approval as Deputy Energy Minister

Parliament’s Appointments Committee has finally recommended for approval, the nomination of Andrew Egyapa Mercer as a Deputy Energy Minister.

A Committee member earlier insisted on the suspension of the nomination due to some unfavorable answers to questions posed by members of the Committee in relation to the botched PDS deal in which he acted as a Director and a Secretary for TG solutions, one of the parties to the deal.

Upon further deliberations, the said member has discontinued the pursuit of allegations of conflict of interest and perjury.

In an interview with Citi News, a member of the Appointments Committee and MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, said there were a lot of technicalities involved in taking the decision.

According to him, the members who had issues with the nominee decided to take the issues up at a different forum.

“On the basis of technicalities, some of the people who were holding on with his approval came to a conclusion that the proper forum to raise this issue is the Privileges Committee and not at the Appointments Committee.”

Why was the approval put on hold?

The Member of Parliament for Sekondi had among other things denied claims of conflict of interest against him in the botched PDS deal during his vetting.

Mr. Mercer, who was a Director and Secretary of TGN Energy Solution, one of the companies that formed PDS, said his role in the company did not affect his work as a Member of Parliament when the deal was brought to the House for consideration.

He also said he was never found in a conflict of interest position.

“My understanding of interest which is really a legal construct is one that is in the nature of a property that is transferable either tangible or intangible, but with respect to duty or relationship with TGN Energy Solution is in the nature of fiduciary which is separate from interest.”

“…So that is why I say I don’t have any interest in TGN Energy Solution. I never received benefits from TGN Energy solution even though I was entitled to them.”

The answers did not convince some committee members who held contrary views on that particular issue.