Parliament okeys five more ministers
Five more ministerial nominees of President John Dramani Mahama have received parliamentary approval for their appointments.
They are Mr Akwasi Oppong-Fosu, Local Government and Rural Development; Mrs Nana Oye Lithur, Gender, Children and Social Protection; Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Education; Mr Joseph Oteng-Adjei, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Dr Edward Omane-Boamah, Communications.
The House voted unanimously to endorse the report of the Appointments Committee which had recommended the approval of their nominations by consensus.
The Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who laid the report of the committee, said "the committee is satisfied that the nominees have fully met the requirements of the constitution and, therefore, respectively recommends their nomination to the House for approval by consensus".
As usual, even though members from the Minority side sat during the debate toward the approval of the nominees, they kept to their decision not to be part of any decision and deliberation towards the vetting and approval of the presidential nominees.
The ensuing debate, however, centred on the performance of Nana Oye Lithur when she appeared before the Appointments Committee.
Members of Parliament (MPs) who contributed to the debate touched on her pronouncement that even though she would not promote homosexuality, she would protect the rights of all Ghanaians, including homosexuals.
In his contribution, the NDC MP for Builsah North, Mr James Agalga, said the position that Nana Oye Lithur took when she appeared before the Appointments Committee was purely legal.
He explained that Articles 17 and 35 of the 1992 Constitution clearly showed that the constitution frowned on all sorts of discrimination, adding that her position was in consonance with provisions in the constitution.
For his part, NDC MP for North Dayi, Mr George Loh congratulated President Mahama for appointing solid people for the consideration of the House as ministers of state.
He said that the decision to fuse Gender, Children and Social Protection into one ministry was a good sign that the President had immense understanding of the social needs of Ghanaians.
Mr Loh said he shared the view of Nana Oye Lithur that the issue of homosexuality should be thoroughly discussed by all Ghanaians for a final position to be arrived at.
Information Minister, Mr Mahama Ayariga said the law was explicit that no Ghanaian had the right to engage in homosexuality since the practice had been criminalised.
He went to the defence of Nana Oye Lithur and stated that as a lawyer she was not wrong to have said that she would protect the rights of all Ghanaians including homosexuals.
When the Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho called for approval of the nominees, MPs from the Majority side loudly shouted hear, hear while their Minori counterparts remained silent in their seats.
Story by Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
