Minority legislators with Parliament’s Appointments Committee said they cannot be part of the vetting of Joseph Cudjoe, the Minister-designate for Public Enterprises.
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said their objection is fundamental in the sense that Joseph Osei Owusu, the Chairman of the Committee gets in touch with the presidency to get them a formal correspondence regarding the Public Enterprises office.
“Even if it takes midnight with correspondence from the presidency we will be here to work. As we proceed there is no Ministry for Public Enterprises and our hands are tied because we should be assessing him based on the role he is going to play,” he said Tuesday.
He said per the Chairman’s ruling that the Committee can go ahead with the vetting and sort out the issue with the presidency later, they need to be clear of the purpose for which they are to do so.
The Tamale South MP said he wants to consult with his other colleagues in the Minority to decide what their next step will be if they don’t get “further and better particulars to proceed with the vetting”.
On his part, Deputy Majority Leader Alex Afenyo Markins said the Minority should listen to Mr Osei Owusu so they proceed and sort the issue out later but Mr Iddrisu disagreed.
“Mr Chairman, my application is before you, it is not my intention that we take sides in this national exercise but momentarily for honourable Cudjoe, our side will just sit and observe whilst we wait for clarity and better particulars,” the former Employment Minister said.
He added that the Minority does not intend to take part in further proceedings “until we receive satisfactory explanation from the office of the president.”
Earlier, the nominee was asked by the Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga what his mandate will be seeking to clarify.
The MP wanted to know whether the Ministry is about managing state enterprises and corporation.
Mr Cudjoe said his mandate is to ensure that Public Enterprises and Corporations run efficiently and effectively so they do not become a drain on government finances.
He explained that government has for some time noted how such entities are managed and the losses they make so the Ministry steps in to prevent such occurrences.
Gideon Kwesi
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