The Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Lawyer Andrew Egyapa Mercer has told the Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the Parliament Appointment Committee to shut up because they have no power to reject a ministerial nominee.
According to him, the entire committee consists of both NDC and NPP members, adding that the committee would have to present their recommendations to the plenary for approval, and the final decision to approve or disapprove a ministerial nominee does not lie solely in the hands of the NDC members.
The Sekondi legislature who was speaking in an interview monitored by Ghanaprex.com added that the committee consists of twenty-six (26) members and the NDC cannot form more than fifty percent to reject a nominee.
“The minority is only engaging in politics. Members of the committee were selected from both sides and have to present a collective report of recommendation to the entire parliament house. I don’t understand why only the minority will come out with their report. They are only one section of the committee who have decided to reject three and put five of the nominees on hold. So are we now dealing with the minority decision or the decision of the entire committee? Lawyer Andrew Egypapa Mercer queried.
Lawyer Andrew Egyapa Mercer described the position of the NDC members as mere politics to please the National Executives of their political party.
“I have heard the NDC met their national executives and took the decision to reject those nominees. But Ghanaians did not vote for the NDC National Executive to take decisions for us. If this meeting I have heard is true, then there is no meaning in that rejection made by the NDC. This goes to confirm that they are engaging in politics. I do not even understand that rejection decision, because we have to discuss the committee’s recommendation as a house and not the position of the NDC members. They cannot reject or approve any nominee. They can only recommend. The final decision lies in the hands of the entire 275 members of parliament”. He noted
Five out of the 30 ministerial nominees vetted so far have reportedly been rejected by the Minority MPs on Parliament’s Appointments Committee. Some others have been asked to reappear for further questioning.
They are Attorney General and Minister of Justice-nominee Godfred Dame, Communication and Digitalization Minister-nominee Ursula Owusu Akuful, Roads Minister-nominee, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, Railway Minister-nominee John Peter Amewu, and Health Minister-nominee Kwaku Agyemang Manu.
Made up of a total of 26 members – 13 each from the NDC and the NPP Caucuses – the Committee.
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