Tough time awaits Presidential nominees as Parliament sets up Appointments & Business Committees

When the first session of the 5th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana resumes on January 27th, 2009, after a short break, one of the interesting things Ghanaians would be witnessing from the House of Legislators would be the Ministerial appointments made by the President John Fiifi Evans Atta Mills, who would be appearing before the Appointments Committee to be vetted .
As Members prepared to go to their various constituencies to enjoy the short vacation, the tonic was set for the difficult task ahead, when the House on Tuesday adopted the Report of Committee of Selection and approved the membership of the Appointments and Business Committees.

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Edward Doe Adjaho, member for Avenor/Ave is the Chairman of the 26-member Appointments Committee, with Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, member for Ningo Prampram as the Vice Chairman.

Other Members in the Appointments Committee include; Hon. Sampson Ahi Member for Juaboso, Hon. Dr. Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, Member for Mion, Hon. Michael Teye Nyaunu, Member for Lower Manya, Hon. Capt. (Rtd) George K. Nfojoh, Member for Ho Centre, Hon. Felix Twumasi-Appiah, Member for Nkoranza South, Hon. Dominic Azumah, Member for Garu Tempane, Hon Juliana Azumah-Mensah, MP for Ho East, Hon .Alhaji Mubarak M. Muntaka, MP for Asawase, Hon. Haruna H. Bayirga, MP for Sissala West and Hon. George Kuntu Blankson Member for Mfantseman East.

The rest are Hon. Alhaji Saani Iddi, MP for Welensi, Hon. Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Member for Wa West, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Member for Suame (Minority Leader), Hon. Ambrose P. Dery Member for Lawra Nandom, Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo Member for Amanfi East, Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea Member for Akim Abuakwa South, Hon. John Jabaah Bennam Member for Zabzugu Tatale, Hon. K. T. Hammond Member for Adansi Asokwa, Hon. Gifty Klenam Member for Lower West Akim, Hon. Ofosu Asamoah Member for Kade, Hon. Frema Osei-Opare, Member for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu, Member for Bekwai, Hon. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman Member for New Juabeng North and Hon. Dr. Matthew O. Prempeh, Member for Manhyia.

The 20-member Business Committee is chaired by the Majority Leader, Mr. Alban Bagbin with his Deputy, John Tia as Vice Chairman.

Other members in the Business Committee include; Hon. Enoch Teye Mensah, Hon Akua Sena Dansua, Hon. Ernest Kofi Yakah, Hon. Yaw Effah-Baafi, Hon. Raymond Tawiah, Hon. Alhaji Abukari Sumani, Hon. Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh, Hon. Michael Coffie Boampong and Hon. Hajia Mary Salifu Boforo.

The rest are; Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (Minority Leader), Hon. Ambrose P. Dery, Hon. Frederick Opare-Ansah, Hon. Gifty Eugenia Kusi, Hon. Nana Abu-Bonsra, Hon. Samuel Kwaku Obodai, Hon Catherine Afeku, Hon. Adamu Dramani and Hon. Yaw Ntow Ababio.

Addressing the House to move the motion for the approval of the report, Hon. Bagbin said the two committees needed to be set up to enable the House programme itself for the task ahead (vetting of Ministers).

The Appointments Committee is primarily responsible for scrutinizing and vetting nominations of the President for Ministerial positions, including members of the Supreme Court of the Republic.

The Business Committee on the other hand is responsible for planning the day to day business of the House.

It is expected that the Appointments Committee would delve deep into the public and private life of those who would appear before it when the House resumes for business on January 27th, 2009.

In 2007, when a similar exercise was done, some nominees including Ken Wuud Nuworsu, Reverend Owusu-Bi and Madam Vicky Bright faced very tough questions when they appeared before the Appointments Committee making it difficult for them to be accepted for their new roles.

The issue about prying into appointees’ private life would again not be spared. But in an interview with some Members of the House, they expressed mixed reactions as some MPs believed that the competence of the personalities would be the most important, whilst others thought otherwise.

One of the new entrants in the House, Hon. Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, MP for Techiman North said the issue of one’s private life should not be the guiding principle, but rather the capabilities of the person or how he or she would handle the new portfolio.

“To me, the issue of private life is not even necessary. It looks as if when you are into politics, you no longer have a private life. I wish that we don’t spend energies to go into peoples’ private lives. We should just find out whether that person would be able to do the job or not, which is very critical”, he noted.

But Madam Cecilia Obeng Dapaah, Member of Parliament for Abirem thinks otherwise. To her, the issue of private life should be a critical issue when the Appointments Committee begins its work, since the character of the nominees would determine how they would relate to their staff at their new offices.

“If you come into public life, your personal life is on the line. You cannot escape from it. Your character would guarantee that you are not going to be a dictator. When you go to a Ministry, you build a relationship with the technocrats because most of them have been there for long, and it would be prudent to tap their expertise. You need to relate to them in order to produce good results. So character is very important. I don’t see why anybody’s character can be shelved”, she noted.

She however, called on the President to speed up work on selecting his Ministerial appointments to enable the Appointments Committee begin its work.