I have not held myself anywhere as a substantive minister - Boakye Agyarko

Minister-designate for Energy and Petroleum has denied holding himself as substantive minister even before is sworn into office.

Boakye Agyarko explains, as nominee for that portfolio, there was the urgent need for him to get familiarised with certain information from the ministry to inform his responses at the vetting committee of parliament.

Agyarko admits, he sometimes goes to the Ministry to sit in the minister’s office only on the instructions of the president, Nana Akufo-Addo.

The nominee was responding to accusations by Member of Parliament for Asawase Constituency, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak that the Minister-designate for Energy has been assuming office at the Ministry while he is still waiting to be approved.

According to Alhaji Muntaka, he had received reports that the minister-designate even signed official documents as if already “sworn in”.

He also alleged, Agyarko had ordered some items not to be removed from a warehouse.

But Agyarko said “I have not held myself anywhere as a substantive minister”. He stated on the occasion of instructing workers from moving items of the Ministry from a warehouse, he only had a report but was unable to reach Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the former Energy and Petroleum Minister, and John Jinapor, the former Deputy Power Minister.