Sold-Out: NDC MPs fail to live up to expectation as Bryan Acheampong, KT Hammond, Others comfortablly sail through Parliament

272 Members of Parliament have voted to approve the ministerial nominees made by President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently.

All six nominees got simple majority of the votes that was casted in Parliament today.

The six nominees whose fate were determined were KT Hammond for Trade and Industry, Bryan Acheampong for Food and Agriculture, Stephen Asamoah Boateng for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, OB Amoah as Minister of State for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Amin Anta as Minister of State for Finance and Stephen Amoah as Deputy Trade and Industry Minister.

Even though the Minority had threatened on several occasions to reject the nominees as a means to drum home their call to get the President to reduce the size of government, they could not live up to their words when it mattered most.

After over 3 hours of suspension of proceedings Thursday, March 23, 2023, Parliament adjourned sitting to determine the fate of the President’s nominees today, Friday, March 24.

This was as a result of the report presented by the Appointments Committee on the vetting of the nominees which generated heated exchanges.

The Minority caucus had said they had no knowledge of the said report and needed to study it whilst their colleagues on the Majority side wanted the document accepted yesterday.

This led the House to suspend proceedings to allow the Minority Group study the 63-page report for the debate.

After the debate, Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin postponed putting the question on the motion for the approval or otherwise of the nominees.

“The question will be put tomorrow [Friday, March 24]. I proceed to accordingly adjourn the House till tomorrow at 10 in the forenoon,” Speaker Bagbin had said.

After resumption of sitting Friday, the approval process began and the Speaker put the question on the motion for the approval which was put to secret balloting.

James Gyakye Quayson, Minority MP for Assin North who has been banned to partake in parliamentary proceedings pending a case in court over his dual nationality was not present to take part in the voting.

Two other MPs from the Majority caucus were also absent, who are; Sarah Adwoa Safo of Dome Kwabenya and Philip Basoa of Kumawu whom the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, said was on his way coming but couldn’t arrive on time.

This left the members 136 apiece for both caucuses.

As per the directives given by both parties to their Whips, if all the MPs had voted according to their party lines, there would have been a tie to call for reelection.

The last time such incident occurred, some Minority MPs joined the Majority caucus to approve Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Mavis Hawa Koomson and others.

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