Appointments Committee vets 3 more nominees
As has characterised the vetting process since January 24, this year, the venue was filled with chiefs, supporters and sympathisers of the nominees.
Once again, at the instance of the Chairman of the committee, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, the names of chiefs, party chairmen, spouses and other sympathisers of the nominees were read out.
The first to be vetted was 46-year-old Julius Debrah who, until recently, was the Executive Director of the National Tourism Authority and Eastern Regional Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said if given the nod, he would seek to establish in the region agro-processing industries to add value to the various foodstuffs produced by the people.
He said he would also develop the tourism potential of the region, including “packaging the rich culture of the people into a tourism product”.
According to him, he would convince the management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) to establish more tourism facilities in the region and make Koforidua, the regional capital, a conference destination in the country.
Mr Debrah made clear his intention to invite the private sector to assist in the development of the region and, with the help of traditional leaders, acquire land for the establishment of the public university intended for the region.
Asked how he intended to operate in a region considered a stronghold of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) where 26 out of the 33 parliamentary seats belonged to the opposition, Mr Debrah said he would embrace and collaborate with people of different political shades and opinions.
He said it was only a perception that the region was predominantly an NPP region, adding that the results of the 2012 elections pointed to the fact that the statement was not entirely true.
He was confident that maintaining a good relationship with political opponents could win them over.
On the galamsey menace in the region, he said he would flush out foreigners from the business, as well as prohibit companies that had not been issued with the necessary permits to mine from operating.
Mr Debrah, who appeared to have a clear understanding of the problems of the region and how to address them, also promised to work hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on the issue if approved by the committee.
Next to appear was Dr Nsoh, a 49-year-old linguistics lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, who revealed that his name Avea was derived from the shrine in his home town Vea in the Bongo District in the Upper East Region.
The nominee, who said he subscribed to African traditional religion and preferred to affirm by his belief, instead of swearing by the Bible, the Crucifix or the Qur’an when he appeared before the committee, said he would remain neutral and seek an amicable settlement to all the conflicts in the region.
He said he would bring together all the factions in the Bawku conflict and ensure that they smoked the peace pipe.
Dr Nsoh said he would introduce a scheme to mobilise money from women and assist them to invest the money collected in basket weaving and other forms of craft.
He noted that poverty was the greatest challenge faced by the people and said he would craft policies to address it.
The nominee also lamented the poor doctor-patient ratio in the Upper East Region and said he would, if given the nod, charge all district and municipal authorities to put in place facilities such as places of abode and good schools to attract health personnel to the region.
He promised to craft and implement a blueprint which would ensure that agriculture became a source of wealth for the people.
The last nominee to appear was 53-year-old Ms Ntoso who, until her nomination, was a search and rescue official with the National Disaster Management Organisation.
Ms Ntoso, who is the first woman to be nominated as Volta Regional Minister, said people who hailed from the region had the common goal of developing the region and added that she would bring them together to pursue a common agenda.
The nominee, a former adjutant of the Civil Defence Organisation (CDO) in the Nkwanta District in the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era and expert in the use of assault rifles, noted that there were some flashpoints in the region which she would deal with if approved.
That, she said, she would do by establishing early warning systems and response mechanisms.
On how to revamp the industries in the region which were in a state of comatose, such as Juapong Textiles, Ms Ntoso said she needed to assess the situation, ascertain what was responsible for their current state before proffering solutions.
“I do not know what the problems are,” she said.
Asked if she ever committed any atrocity as an adjutant of the CDO in the days of the PNDC, the nominee replied in the negative and said rather she saved lives and solved problems.
She promised to be fair to all manner of people and firm in the discharge of her duties if approved.
Story by Mark-Anthony Vinorkor
