We thank God that Minority’s boycott was not fatal to the approval of new ministers – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed surprise that the Minority walkout during the consideration and approval of the new ministers.

He described the action of the Minority as a ‘pity’.

“It was a pity that at the last moment, the Minority which has participated in all the prior processes found it necessary to walk out of parliament at the formal approval stage. we thank God that the walkout was not fatal to the vote of approval,” President Akufo-Addo said during the swearing-in of the new ministers at the Jubilee House on Monday, May 20.

The Minority in Parliament on Friday, May 17 staged a boycott of the approval of the new ministers of President Akufo-Addo.

The minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in his submission on the floor questioned how the approval of the ministerial nominees was classified as an urgent matter.

“May I ask, how is the approval of the President’s nominees for ministerial positions an urgent matter, when this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government already has a large number of ministers and deputy ministers?” He asked.

While walking out of the chamber, some of the opposition lawmakers were heard saying “Ghanaians are suffering.”

Dr Cassiel Ato Forson told the Majority side that “If you don’t care, we care.”

The ministerial nominees are 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 Digitilisation 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.”

Meanwhile, Parliament on that same day approved a loan facility of $150 million from the World Bank.

The loan facility is to fund the ongoing Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project.

The Loan was approved despite concerns raised by the Minority in the House.

TV3’s Komla Klutse who was in parliament reported that “After a heated debate and a head count following a disputed voice vote, the speaker declared the majority MPs having won the vote on the $150 million loan. 137 NPP MPs voted in favour of the loan as against 132 NDC MPs.”

Prior to the approval, the Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson had said on the floor of the House that “How is the approval of US$150 million loan an urgent issue, when US$200 million for phase one approved by this House has been misapplied and not accounted for?

“How is it an urgent matter for Parliament to be summoned from recess to approve a-US$150 million loan agreement at a time that this government is granting questionable US$450 million tax waiver?

“Therefore, we want to make the point clear that there is no urgent matter before the House to warrant this recall.”