Kwakye Ofosu, 34 others approved by Parliament

Parliament has approved by consensus the nomination of 35 personalities appointed by President John Mahama to deputy ministerial positions. The nominees were approved after the House adopted the reports of the Appointments Committee of Parliament during an emergency meeting of the Legislature.

The appointees include Dominic Ayine who is going to the Justice and Attorney-General’s Department, Barbara Sera Asamoah heads to the Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, becomes the deputy Minister for Education, Felix Kwakye Ofosu is the Deputy Minister for Information and Media Relations, Cassiel Ato Baah Forson and George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, Finance are going to the Ministry of Finance as deputy ministers, and Thomas Kwesi Quartey is going to the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum is going to the Local Government and Rural Development and Bernice Adiku Heloo becomes the deputy minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

The rest are Joyce Bawah Mogtari for the Transport ministry, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi is now the deputy minister for Defence, Alfred Sugri Tia for Health ministry, Alex Kyeremeh for the Education ministry, Yaw Effah-Baafi for the Lands and Natural Resources ministry, James Agalga for Interior, Vincent Oppong-Asamoah is going to the Water Resources, Works and Housing ministry, Sampson Ahi, becomes the deputy minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Joseph Yammin heads to the Youth and Sports, Dr Musheibu Mohammed-Alfa is going to the Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation ministry, John Abdulai Jinapor, and Benjamin Dagadu are going to the Energy and Petroleum ministry.

The others are Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan and Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw heads to the Food and Agriculture ministry,Murtala Muhammed Ibrahim is going to the Information and Media Relations, Mr Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye is also going to the Trade and Industry ministy, Victoria Lakshmi Hamah becomes the deputy minister for Communications. Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed is going Local Government and Rural Development while John Alexander Ackon is going to the Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs.

Isaac Adjei Mensah heads to the Roads and Highways ministry, Ablah Dzifah Gomashie also heads to theTourism, Culture and Creative Arts, while Antwi-Bosiako Sekyere is heading to the Employment and Labour Relations.

Alhaji Bashir Fuseini Alhassan is the deputy regional minister for the Northern Region, Benita Sena Okity-Duah and Rachel Florence Appoh are heading to the Gender, Children and Social Protection, Aquinas Tawaih Quansah is going to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development ministry.

The Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Ebo Barton-Odro, who is also the First Deputy Speaker who moved the motion for the adoption of the reports of the committee told the House that the nominees appeared before the committee and answered questions on pertinent issues relevant to their positions and after carefully scrutinising them they were recommended by consensus to be approved and appointed.

The House is also expected during the two-day emergency sitting to adopt the report of the committee on the proposed formula for distributing the district assemblies’ common fund for the fiscal year.