The nominees are, Dr Archibald Letsa, Rockson Bukari and Alhassan Suleiman who are minister nominees for the Volta, Upper East and Upper West Regions respectively.

[contextly_sidebar id=”k4X7q6MLik1sTpUlHC3iImD1JQKX7yo7″]This is the second set of nominees to be vetted this week as the committee is expected to vetting all the 10 regional minister nominees by the end of this week.

On Tuesday [14th February, 2017] the committee vetted the first batch of nominees; Dr. Kwaku Afriyie (Western Regional minister-designate), Mr. Simon Osei Mensah (Ashanti Regional minister-designate), Mr. Eric Kwakye Darfour (Eastern Regional minister-designate) and Mr. Ishmael Ashitey (Greater Accra Regional minister-designate).

Parliament’s Appointments Committee has in the past one month being vetting President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees to ascertain their readiness to occupy their respective office.

Last week it completed the vetting of all the 36 ministers of state named by the President, and subsequently submitted its report to Parliament for their approval. All the 36 have since been sworn into office to start work.

Schedule for Thursday

On Thursday, 16th February, 2017, the committee will vet Mr. Kwaku Asoma Cheremeh (Brong Ahafo Regional minister-designate), Mr. Kwamena Duncan (Central Regional minister-designate), and Mr. Salifu Sa-eed (Northern Regional minister-designate).

‘Vetting committee challenged’

The work of the committee has not been without challenges as some members alleged that one of the nominees had attempted to bribe them to approve his nomination.

The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga some two weeks ago alleged that the minister for Energy, Boakye Agyarko attempted to bribe members of the minority NDC side on the committee with GH¢3,000  each to approve his nomination when he realized that the side was against his approval following some comments he made during his vetting.

The matter is currently under investigation by a special committee constituted by the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye. The committee is chaired by the former Attorney General and Member of Parliament for Essikado Ketan, Joe Ghartey.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Letsa, 2 others face Appointments Committee today appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

25 of the ministers vetted out of the 36, have already been sworn in, though one of the ministers, Otiko Djaba, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, has been sued by two Minority MPs following her approval by parliament.

Two NDC MPs, MP for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey, and the MP for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, filed a writ at the Supreme Court to revoke the appointment of Madam Djaba praying the court to nullify her nomination and swearing-in due to her failure to undertake the mandatory national service.

The Minority in Parliament had kicked against and subsequently boycotted her approval in Parliament.

Another Minister nominee, Catherine Afeku may face similar problems following her admission she too did not undertake the mandatory national service.

Bribery scandal

The vetting committee was also rocked by a bribery scandal after some allegations made by some members of the Minority Caucus on the Appointments Committee.

A Minority member of the Committee, Mahama Ayariga, alleged that the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, attempted to bribe the Minority members to secure approval of his nomination.

Mr. Ayariga said Mr. Agyarko tried bribing 10 Minority members on the Committee with GHc 3,000 each.

The Railways Development Minister, also former Attorney-General, Joe Ghartey, has been tasked to lead a five-member committee approved by Parliament, to investigate the bribery scandal.

The committee was given 30 days to come out with its findings.

Find below the list of ministers vetted

Ministers approved and sworn-in

Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo

Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh

Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery

Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah

Minister for Railway Development, Joe Ghartey

Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Anthony Akoto Osei

Minister for Planning, George Yaw Gyan-Baffour

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama

Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba

Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Boakye Agyarko

Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta

Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen

Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul

Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Atta

Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu Ekuful

Minister of Health,  Kwaku Agyeman Manu

Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto

Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Gloria Afua Akuffo

Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea

Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Joseph Kofi Adda

Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Kweku Botwe

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu

Minister of Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah

Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Ignatius Bafuor Awuah

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

Ministers awaiting approval

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu

Minister for Special Development Initiative, Mavis Hawa Koomson

Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye

Minister of Inner cities and Zongo Development, Abubakar Boniface Siddique

Minister of Business Development, Ibrahim Mohammed Awal

Minister for Information, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid

Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Kofi Dzamesi

Minister of Aviation, Cecelia Dapaah

Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Catherine Ablema Afeku

Minister for Planning, Professor Gyan Baffour

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Parliament completes vetting of sector ministers appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Following her nomination for the portfolio, a group calling itself the Truth and Accountable Governance (TAG), petitioned Parliament’s Appointments Committee to reject her because she was once found guilty of fraud in some investment deal with an American couple in a hotel, the Hotel Paradise Africa.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nwlSlw8k7u490BTcBkdhIYB262La3EMk”]But speaking to the issue before the Appointments Committee, Mrs. Afeku maintained that she had never been charged with fraud nor did she have any criminal background.

Her lawyers have already explained that she and her husband, were involved in a court case in 2007, but it was a civil lawsuit filed by the Americans she was alleged to have defrauded in the hotel investment.

Mrs Afeku further revealed that in 2013, she came by fresh evidence in the form of a video recording of the son of one of her business partners “professing and confessing that the entire suit was built on a conspiracy between my business partners and a native of Axim.”

On this basis, she filed an appeal and “in 2014, the suit was ruled in our favour and an injunction was placed on the earlier judgement.”

She reiterated that “throughout this court case, there were never any finding of fraud, there were never any findings of criminality. It was purely a civil matter of a business relationship gone bad.”

“As we sit here today, the judgment has been ruled in my favour. Every property seized of ours has been returned and we are awaiting our day in court to shout the fresh evidence of the video recording and the court will decide,” Mrs. Afeku stated.

Shedding some light on the business venture, she explained that Hotel Paradise Africa was envisioned as a retirement home by her and some friends from Los Angeles, US, as they had wanted to establish a hotel in the Nzema area, where retired African Americans could come in and stay.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Fraud allegation was a conspiracy against me – Afeku appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on The Big Issue, he described the ongoing vetting as a ‘lame-duck’ process that hardly ever results in anyone being rejected after going through the process.

“What I think is that, we are going through a lame-duck process with this vetting. This vetting that we are doing and pretending like we are posing interesting questions is just a lame-duck exercise which has never resulted in anything.”

“When you are on that deck and you are giving answers, you have a choice, you can either be yourself, speak your mind and let the chips fall where they may or you can be diplomatic enough and play the tomfoolery and say what they want to hear in order to pass through.”

“The fact of the matter is that, we are having the vetting and the Minority always goes one side and the Majority always go the other side, and you have a lame-duck situation and you are wasting everybody’s time because nobody is making any progress and then nothing has changed,” Mr. Casely Hayford said.

He noted further that, the vetting was not exposing the nominated persons with some of the questions coming off, describing them as distasteful just as the answers.

“Things like this are unbecoming of parliament of modern systems,” he said.

According to Mr. Casely Hayford, “when you look at the questions they are asking, Parliament is still stuck in some old-fashioned notion that everything we do should still be supported by the state apparatus.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ministerial vetting a ‘lame-duck process’ – Casely Hayford appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The list of Ministerial nominees awaiting approval include Dr. Anthony Osei Akoto, Otiko Djaba, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Joseph Kofi Adda among others.

With the exception of Gender Minister-nominee, Otiko Djaba who seemed to have incurred the wrath of the minority over some comments she made about Former President Mahama during the campaign, all the other nominees are expected to be approved by Parliament by consensus.

All the 12 nominees expected to be presented before the House were vetted this past week.

President Akufo-Addo has already sworn in 12 of the 36 persons he nominated as ministers for various portfolios after their approval by Parliament’s Appointments Committee.

List of nominees set for approval

Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea

Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Joseph Kofi Adda

Minister for Communications, Ursula Owusu Ekuful

Minister for Railway Development, Joe Ghartey

Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba

Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffuor Awuah

Minister for Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu

Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei

Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Kweku Botwe

Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng

Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Atta

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Parliament to approve second batch of ministerial nominees appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful worked with Zain but was dismissed by the company on January, 8, 2009.

During her vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, she explained that her dismissal was because the company viewed her media engagements to be an embarrassment to it.

In lieu of Zain’s reasoning, Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said she felt her rights had been infringed upon, thus, she dragged her former employer to the Human Rights court.

“Since they ascribed a reason for that, I took them to the Human Rights court saying they had infringed on my right of free expression and association. So it is purely a human rights matter. It has nothing to do with the work they do or their professionalism.”

Zain no longer in Ghana

The question posed to Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful was in reference to the link between Airtel Ghana and Zain. Zain’s parent company, MTC International Corporation sold its holdings in Africa to Airtel.

She however assured that, the issues notwithstanding, moves are in place to ensure an amicable end to the legal tussle.

“There have been moves to settle that matter now and I believe we are close to a conclusion on that matter.”

“Zain is no longer working in this country. The actors have changed. The company has changed. The nature of the case is personal and not professional and I will deal with them in a manner which is in the best interests of this country.”

“I don’t see any potential problems or conflicts particularly if the moves initiated to settle this matter out of court also come to fruition sooner rather than later,” Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post I won’t harass Airtel over my Zain lawsuit – Ursula appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This is after the allegations of bribery levelled against the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, by a Minority member of the Appointments Committee, Mahama Ayariga.

[contextly_sidebar id=”dtbJSjen6DPdzVcR3FN9Fo2UeEeQAytY”]Mr. Ayariga accused Mr. Agyarko of bribing the 10 Minority members on the Committee with GHc 3,000 to get his nomination approved.

Mr. Ayariga, along with two other Minority members of the Appointments Committee; Alhassan Suhuyini and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MPs for Tamale North and North Tongu, have written to the Speaker of Parliament calling for a thorough investigation of the bribery claims against the Mr. Agyarko.

But Mr. Azeem has recommended that the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) instead investigate these allegations as a CHRAJ probe into the matter would be more credible in the eyes of Ghanaians.

“I don’t think that an institution where the individuals in the institution accused of certain untoward actions should have that very institution investigating itself. It has something to be with the image of Parliament and natural tendencies. As human beings, the natural tendency is to try to find a way of covering it up. For Ghanaians to believe the outcome, it will be better to get an independent body that will investigate this matter,” he explained to Citi News.

CHRAJ does not even need a petition to probe these allegations, from Mr. Azeem’s viewpoint. “The media reports are enough for CHRAJ to decide to go in and investigate the matter,” he said.

Meanwhile, CHRAJ has indicated that it will allow Parliament to conduct a full-scale investigation into the bribery scandal.

The Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal who made the revelation, however, noted that the Commission will monitor the investigations closely to ensure transparency.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bribery allegations: Parliament shouldn’t probe itself – Azeem appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They are the Minister nominee for Lands and Forestry, John Peter Amewu; Minister nominee for Works and housing, Samuel Atta Akyea and the Minister nominee for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah.

Parliament will also, later today, resume sitting following a weekend of orientation for new members and accusations of bribery.

On Friday evening, the House held an induction seminar in Koforidua to tutor new MPs on the rules and procedures that govern Parliament.

The Seminar followed the raging issue of alleged bribery to the minority MPs on the appointment committee to facilitate the approval of Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko; a claim that has been denied.

A formal statement on the matter is expected to be made on the floor and the Speaker, Prof Mike Oquaye, has been requested to institute in an independent enquiry into the allegations of bribery made first by MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga.

Mr. Ayariga alleged that the purported bribe money was given to the Minority Chief Whip, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka by the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu for onward disbursement to the Minority members of the committee.

Mr. Ayariga, along with two other Minority members of the Appointments Committee; Alhassan Suhuyini and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MPs for Tamale North and North Tongu, further wrote to the Speaker of Parliament calling for a thorough investigation of the bribery claims against the Mr. Agyarko.

Although the Chief Whip and the Chairman have denied the claims, the Mr. Ayariga has insisted he is certain about the allegations.

The Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has indicated that it will allow Parliament to conduct a full-scale investigation into the bribery scandal.

The Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal who made the revelation was, however, quick to add that the Commission will monitor the investigations closely to ensure that there is transparency.

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By: Duke Mensah-Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Parliament to resume sitting as ministerial vetting continues appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The NHIS has a utilization rate of about 33 million, and a membership of 11 million persons as pointed out by a member of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, but Mr. Agyemang-Manu stressed that, the mandate of the NHIS stretched beyond membership.

[contextly_sidebar id=”K3FQ2AZJjAtNmECIGavMnFem07KlUQx0″]“The NHIA was not established to register members; so we don’t assess the activeness of the NHIA with membership numbers. We established NHIS with the objective to provide affordable accessible healthcare to the people.”

The Health Minister-nominee argued that, the quality of facilities and access to free medication were some of the indicators that could be used to effectively assess utilization.

“So if you are delivering healthcare, you are not just looking at OPD attendance because if people go and they make them pay, it is looked at as attendance. If you are talking about claims and they are not complaining; these are some of the things we can use as parameters,” Mr. Agyemang-Manu explained.

NDC didn’t ‘collapse’ NHIS

The New Patriotic Party in its 2016 manifesto held the view that the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, had collapsed the NHIS over the past eight years.

Mr. Agyemang-Manu admitted that, the use of “collapsing might be a harsh word” adding that, “I wouldn’t have, if I was writing the portion of a manifesto, used collapsed, because at least there is a presence of it and people are registering.”

But he noted that, the general sentiments of people on the scheme he had encountered, was that it had collapsed because, “the bottom line is that when people go and they ask them to come and buy their own drugs, they come home and tell us MPs the thing has collapsed.”

He also advised that discussions on the NHIS be devoid of partisan inclinations.

“This is an area where we have to take away some level of politics because together, the two sides, we are representing the people of this country… whoever makes it work, it is a credit to him, but we are all benefiting and that is why I say that let us face facts and let us take away the politics out of health insurance.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Measuring NHIS’ success by membership flawed – Agyemang-Manu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Mr. Opoku Prempeh said his focus will be ensuring quality at the foundation levels of basic education.

Article 38(1) of the 1992 Constitution says that the State shall provide educational facilities at all levels, and in all regions of Ghana, and shall to the greatest extent feasible, make those facilities available to all citizens.

He admitted there were challenges with implementing the Free Compulsory Basic Education programme (FCUBE), which sought to provide the opportunity for every school-age child in Ghana to receive quality basic education by the year 2005.

But Mr. Opoku Prempeh indicated that, the target of progressively free tertiary education, as promised by the defeated National Democratic Congress, “was not time-bound like progressively free secondary education in our constitution.”

Thus he said his priority would be to make sure that, “the KGs, the primaries, the JHSs and the SHSs, including vocational and technical education and agriculture, is well consolidated especially now that the UN’s right to basic education is being changed to a right of education up to the secondary level.”

“We have to guarantee that the masses of our people will be of sufficient knowledge and value skill acquisition, and technical ability before we probably, if the country can afford it, move towards those directions,” he added.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We’ll prioritize quality basic education – Opoku Prempeh appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.