New names not ministerial appointments

Recent nominations by President John Evans Atta Mills are not ministerial appointments, transitional spokesperson has said.

According to Hannah Tetteh, the appointees will only play supervisory roles until substantive ministers are appointed.

President John Evans Atta Mills on Thursday appointed a three member team headed by Tobgui Afede Aso to oversee the finance ministry. Former deputy finance Minister Moses Asaga and Kwabena Duffuor former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, are the other members.

Others appointed include, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah for National Security, with Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni and Vice Admiral E.O. Owusu Ansah heading the Interior and Defense Ministries respectively.

The appointments have ignited criticisms from certain quarters as the re-emergence of the old gurus of the erstwhile P/NDC.

Some have also questioned the inclusion of Tobgui Afede, a traditional head, in what is expected to be purely partisan political appointment.

According to the 1992 constitution, chiefs are not to take part in partisan politics.

But Hannah Tetteh explained to Joy News these appointees will not take any important political decisions.

They will only oversee to the key sectors of the country and brief the incoming substantive ministers to be appointed by the president, she added.

She lamented the delays in ministerial appointments as a result of parliamentary vetting; insisting, "government business must go on."

"The president only delegated his executive authority for them to act in a care-taker capacity."