Mahama Ayariga, the Member of Parliament for the Bawku Central constituency in the Upper East Region, has denied rumors that the approval of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s ministerial appointees was solely based on money. Ayariga stated that he has no evidence of bribery and that the appointees relied on their relationships with minority members to lobby for their approval.
While he was surprised by the number of votes in favor of the nominees, Ayariga believes that their successful lobbying was the main reason for their approval. The NDC party had issued a statement advising the minority not to approve the nominees due to concerns about their vulnerability to lobbying.
In an interview with Citi TV, Ayariga emphasized that he was careful not to make unfounded accusations of bribery without evidence.
Parliament approves all six nominees, two Supreme Court Justices:
On March 24th, after a heated debate and tense voting process, Parliament approved all six ministerial nominees and two Supreme Court Justices nominated by President Akufo-Addo. Speaker Alban Bagbin announced that all nominees received more votes than the minimum required, as three of the 275 eligible voters were absent. Despite the National Democratic Congress (NDC) instructing its MPs to vote against the nominees, some did not follow the party’s decision. The approved ministerial nominees are Kobina Tahiru Hammond as Minister of Trade and Industry, Bryan Acheampong as Minister of Food and Agriculture, Stephen Asamoah Boateng as Minister of Chieftaincy, Mohammed Amin Adam as Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Osei Bonsu Amoah as Minister of Local Government, and Stephen Amoah as Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry. The two approved Supreme Court nominees are George Kingsley Koomson, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, and Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, a Justice of the High Court.
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