Information Minister-designate Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; Minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mavis Hawa Koomson and Minister-designate for Food Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto have been rejected for various reasons.
Mavis Hawa Koomson
1.a) The Minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development could not
provide convincing grounds for the shooting incident during the Voter Registration
Exercise in Kasoa on 20th July, 2020 even though we acknowledge her belated
apology for her recklessly dangerous conduct.
b) Furthermore, claims of an ongoing investigation by the Police did not come across as
credible considering that there has been no update from the police more than 8
months after the unfortunate incident. Our checks also point to the fact that she has
not provided any statement to the police as at yet.
c) The nominee confirmed the identity of closed associates who have unleashed a
reign of terror on helpless political opponents in the pursuit of their narrow political
ends.
d) The Minister-designate displayed an alarmingly abysmal lack of knowledge on the
sector she was nominated for, making her unfit for the portfolio and therefore
untenable to secure the approval of members of the NDC caucus.
Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto
2. a)The Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture was untruthful under oath to the
Committee on the circumstances leading to the abrogation of the Fruit and Export
Terminal Contract of 2015 by GPHA on his express instructions as contained in a
letter dated 11th January, 2021.
b) He was untruthful under oath about his directive ordering GPHA to issue a license to
Fruit Terminal Company Ltd and how his actions could lead to a US$50million
judgement debt.
c) The nominee was grossly insincere with the Appointments Committee on his special
relationship with the Director of AMG Company Limited, Mr. Ernest Appiah and the
latter’s control of fertilizer contracts awarded by the Ministry.
d) The Minister-designate was particularly discourteous, downright condescending and
offensively arrogant in his appearance at the committee which is not the kind of
attitude expected of public servants.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
3. a)The Minister-designate for Information was not the least candid with the committee
on the multiple infractions of the law leading to the Bank of Ghana’s revocation of
the license of Oval Microfinance – a company in which he was 83% majority
shareholder.
b) He failed to admit ethical liability for the related party lending between Oval
Microfinance and West Brownstone which also belongs to him. He also denied
outstanding obligations to Oval Microfinance despite the BoG’s examination report
establishing the contrary.
c) He peddled untruths under oath about the circumstances leading to investigative
journalist Manasseh Azure relocating to South Africa with the assistance of the
Media Foundation for West Africa when the journalist faced threats to his life.
d) The nominee was quite evasive on his association with MX24 TV which is owned and
managed by his wife with other family members such as Kwabena Oppong Nkrumah
serving as shareholder/Trustee for the parent company of MX24 TV known as Black
Volta Publications Limited incorporated recently on the 4th of April, 2017 when the
nominee was serving as Deputy Minister for Information.
Those deferred are Communication Minister nominee, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful; Railway Minister nominee, John Peter Amewu; Roads Minister nominee, Kwasi Amoako-Attah; Attorney General and Minister of Justice nominee, Godfred Dame and Health Minister nominee, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.
Made up of a total of 26 members – 13 each from the NDC and the NPP Caucus – the Committee begun the constitutionally mandated vetting process on February 10 and are expected to finish on March 9.
The NDC MPs led by Haruna Iddrisu, a Ranking Member on the Committee, has have outlined reasons why they took such a decision.
Reasons for the rejection
The Minority MPs said they were not satisfied with the answers he gave regarding his private businesses.
According to the NDC MPs, the Ofoase Ayeribi MP has an 82% share in a company called Oval Market Finance. This finance company is believed to be involved in some suspicious third-party lending.
Again, they say he has dealings with MX24 GH, a content creation, digital agency and media production house located in East Legon, which he said he didn’t have anything to do with during his vetting.
Overall, the NDC MPs accuse Mr Oppong Nkrumah of being untruthful with his answers during his vetting.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister-designate, Hawa Koomson, who was vetted on the same day as was turned down mainly for the gun-shooting incident that occurred during the registration of voters in her constituency.
During her vetting, the 55-year-old admitted to firing warning shots in self-defence and apologised to the Committee and Ghanaians in general for her conduct.
Although MP for Asawaase, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka questioned the genuineness of her apology owing to the fact that she had failed to follow up on her constituents who may have been injured or lost their property in the incident, Mrs Koomson stated that she was unaware of any such injuries or losses.
Regarding the Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Afriyie Akoto, he is accused of unilaterally cancelling a horticulture contract with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority on January 11, 2021 without authority.
This cancellation according to the Minority Group is unauthorised as he was only a caretaker Minister.
Further, the cancellation, they say, will lead to a $50 million judgment debt for the country.
Following the rejection of these candidates, their nomination will be presented to Parliament for a vote.
Meanwhile, the NDC MPs say their reasons for the deferment of Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is for overseeing the discriminatory closure of some radio stations.
The nominee during her vetting two weeks ago said, the NCA acted in accordance with the Electronic Communication Law of 2008 in shutting down radio stations.
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