MINORITY HAVE NO POWERS TO REJECT NOMINEES

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu has rebuked members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over claims that they had rejected the approval of some ministerial nominees.

Mr. Osei Owusu insisted that no member or group on the committee has the power to reject any nominee.

According to him, the Committee can only make recommendations for a decision to be taken by Parliament.

There are claims that the NDC MPs on the Committee had unanimously rejected the approval of some ministers-designate.

The said nominees included Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister-designate for Information; Hawa Koomson, Minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture and Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture.

But according to the Bekwai legislator, the committee has no such powers.

He thus urged members on the committee to abide by the rules of the house.

“We are supposed to make a decision as a committee which is intended for the House [Parliament]. Sometimes, people say I am too strict, but truly that is my training and these are the rules we go by. So please let us work as a team and as a committee. We can always agree to disagree that’s why it is a democracy, but we should not take out of here matters which have not been decided by the committee and discuss as if it is a committee decision.”

“This committee has no power to reject anybody and let’s make it clear. Our duty is to make recommendations to the house which the house may accept or refuse. If we understand that, it will influence our decisions.”

He made these comments during the vetting on Tuesday, March 2, 2021.