Parliament has approved the nomination of the new ministers appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The approval follows hours of voting after the Minority signalled its rejection of the nominees. However, about 20 MPs from the Minority broke ranks during the voting and supported the approval of the new ministers.
The Appointments Committee could not recommend the approval of the nominees on consensus compelling the House to vote to decide the fate of the minister-designates.
This means MP for Adansi Asokwa, K.T Hammond will become Minister of Trade and Industry when he is sworn into office by the President with Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, Dr. Stephen Amoah serving as his deputy.
Bryan Acheampong, Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Minister-designate for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, Minister of State-designate at the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State-designate at the Ministry of Finance have all also been approved.
The Appointments Committee’s report on the nominees was debated in Parliament on Thursday while the voting was done on Friday, March 24, 2023.
Efforts by the Majority to have the voting postponed were vehemently rejected by the Minority.
The Minority caucus in Parliament earlier insisted on having the voting on President Nana Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees done today after the exercise was suspended.
There was chaos in Parliament after the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, suspended sitting due to the failure of both sides to agree on how to vote for the approval of two Supreme Court nominees and Ministers and deputy ministers nominated by President Akufo-Addo.
The Majority demanded that voting for the Supreme Court Justices and the Ministers be done concurrently, but the Minority insisted that voting and counting be done separately.
The Majority also demanded that MPs from their side openly display their vote, but that was immediately shot down by the Minority who demanded that voting be done in secret.
Speaking after the sitting was suspended, the Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson insisted that they will not have the voting any other day than today.
“We want the voting today, Friday, March 24, 2023, and not any other day. We urge those on the Majority side to return to Parliament immediately, so we vote.”
“We are ready with all our MPs and want the voting right away.”
How the MPs voted
At the end of voting, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin announced that 272 took part in the exercise while three MPs were absent.
KT Hammond
154 YES votes
116 NO votes
1 rejected ballot
1 abstention
Bryan Acheampong
167 YES votes
98 NO votes
4 rejected ballots
3 abstentions
Asamoah Boateng
147 YES votes
122 NO votes
3 abstentions
Mohammed Amin Adam
152 YES votes
117 NO votes
1 rejected ballot
2 abstentions
OB Amoah
149 YES votes
120 NO votes
3 abstentions
Stephan Amoah
146 YES votes
123 No votes
3 abstentions