- Source: Clement Akoloh/ parliamentnews360.com
The Minority Caucus in Parliament, composed of members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has raised serious concerns about irregularities during the vetting of ministerial nominees for the Government of President John Dramani Mahama.
The Appointments Committee recently concluded the vetting of the first batch of nominees, which included Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Minister-Designate for Finance; John Abdulai Jinapor, Minister-Designate for Energy and Green Revolution; and Dr. Dominic Ayine, Minister-Designate for Justice and Attorney General. The Committee is expected to submit its report to the House for consideration.
At a press conference held in Parliament on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Dr. Gideon Boako, addressing the media on behalf of the Minority, accused the Chairman of the Appointments Committee of partisanship and denying Minority members the opportunity to thoroughly scrutinize the nominees.
“Members of the committee were shouted at by the Chairman. You all witnessed how the Member for Atiwa East, Hon. Abena Osei-Asare, was shouted at in an attempt to protect the nominees. The Chairman denied legitimate members of the committee the opportunity to ask relevant questions and railroaded the nominees through the process,” Dr. Boako stated.
Concerns About Nominees’ Performance
The Minority also expressed dissatisfaction with the responses provided by the nominees, describing their answers as evasive and lacking clarity.
On Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Minister-Designate for Finance, Dr. Boako criticized his inability to provide assurances on key policy issues. “How can a finance minister-designate look into the faces of parents and young Ghanaian students and say that because he is not yet the Minister, he cannot answer whether the pledge by President Mahama to pay for their fees will be honored? This is a clear way of telling our tertiary students that the NDC party deceived them into voting for them,” he remarked.
The performance of John Abdulai Jinapor, Minister-Designate for Energy and Green Revolution, also came under scrutiny. According to the Minority, the nominee failed to address critical concerns about the Gold for Oil policy, which he had previously described as a “scam.”
“Firstly, when questioned about his previous criticism of the policy, the nominee remained steadfast in his stance, showing no remorse. He stated that he would review the policy, but we must ask: how does one review a scam? His lack of accountability is troubling, especially as he failed to provide viable solutions to the persistent issue of access to foreign exchange for petroleum imports, a matter that directly impacts fuel pricing. We face a significant increase in petroleum prices, ultimately burdening the public with higher costs,” Dr. Boako said.
The Minority also raised concerns about Dr. Dominic Ayine, Minister-Designate for Justice and Attorney General, alleging a conflict of interest. “His law firm and he personally are representing companies that have filed arbitration claims in excess of $500 million. Can Ghanaians go to sleep believing that their money will be safe and that it will not be stolen through the payment of dubious judgment debts, as we saw in the Wayome case?” they questioned.
The Member of Parliament for Suame, Lawyer John Darko expressed concern about the Minister Designate’s justification for the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), a team put together by the NDC to lead investigations into suspected corrupt acts against the state. He insists the team does not have any legal basis to invite people to appear before it. He therefore advised the NPP Members not honour any invitation from the ORAL team.
The Minority Caucus has called for greater transparency and impartiality in the vetting process to ensure nominees are thoroughly vetted for the positions they seek to occupy.
