Akufo-Addo imposes scandal-laden ministers on NPP, vetting to expose many of them
Politics

Akufo-Addo imposes scandal-laden ministers on NPP, vetting to expose many of them

The coming weeks promise to be interesting for the Akufo-Addo government, as well as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) with reports, picked up by The Herald that some of his 46 minister-designates, will have a tough time before the Appointment Committee of Parliament, where their suitability to once again serve in the government as Ministers and Regional Ministers, will be tested. The likes of Finance Minister-designate, Ken Ofori-Atta, Communication Minister-designate,e Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Mavis Hawa Koomsom, Railway Minister-designate John Peter Amewu, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs-designate, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Justice Minister-designate Godfred Yeboah-Dame, Energy minister-designate,e Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Women and Children Minister-designate, Sara Adwoa Safo and Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, have all had dossiers with respect to their previous ministerial jobs being prepared on them for their vetting. While some of the issues making up the dossiers are said to be new, The Herald learnt that, others are already existing issues which they failed to properly respond to or the Presidency helped them to cover up during their first term in office by simply “clearing” them. Indeed, some NPP members feel that the President has set some of the Minister up to be rejected. Insiders tell The Herald that many members of the NPP, have been left wondering why President Akufo-Addo, is risking a scenario where some of his appointees will embarrassingly be rejected by Parliament as a result of the many scandals hanging around their necks. First on the list is Ken Ofori-Atta. He has been retained as the Finance Minister and expected to have the toughest vetting, as there is direct evidence linking him to several conflicts of interest situations in many loans and bonds contracted in the last four years. He had used his private company, Databank in many of the transactions. Mr Ofori-Atta, will also have to account for the Agyapa/Asase Royalties deal, the involvement of yet again his company, his award of a contract to his cousin, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, without any competitive tendering. He will have the opportunity to respond to the direct accusation from former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, whether he tried to influence the corruption risk assessment on the Agyapa royalties. On the bill, is his roles in the Energy Sector, ownership of oil blocs, his $1 million contracts awarded electoral consultants, KRL International based in America, in June 2017, having played an active role in candidate Akufo-Addo’s campaign in 2016. He is also expected to answer questions on his role in PDS which tried to take over management of the state-owned Electricity Company of Ghana. The printing of the new cedis notes – 100 and 200 by Bank of Ghana. His role in the banking sector cleanup, the involvement of his private insurance company, Enterprise insurance in the management of state-owned vehicles among others will also be questioned. Mr Ofori-Atta is also expected to be queried on his sacking of known and experienced civil servants, and their replacement with officials from his Databank. While Agyapa had seen him usurping the role of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources then led by Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh in the management of the countries mineral resources and its royalties, the PDS, had seen him also hijacking the duties and responsibilities of the then Energy Minister John Peter Amewu. Mavis Hawa Koomson, who pulled a gun and shot at a voter registration centre last year, while in the company of known NPP thugs from Bawku, will also for the first time publicly answer some questions on the incident. They were arrested but set free. The police officer who was in charge of the case was later transferred from the area. Various calls by civil society organizations, Peace Council, the Christian Council and security experts on President Akufo-Addo to sack his minister, was also ignored by him. Interestingly, there was another shooting incident in the same constituency during the December 2020 election by men reported to be connected to her. Additionally, Mavis will finally have to account for her stewardship at the Ministry of Special Initiatives with respect to the development authorities, the One Village One Dam programme, One district US$1 million per a constituency, the one ambulance per constituency programme, her outrageous price for a website among other procurement contracts including mechanized boreholes awarded by her. Also on the raider of the Appointment Committee is Ursula Owusu, who has failed to dutifully account for her stewardship at Communications Ministry with respect to Kelni GVG, revocation of TV and radio licenses, COVID-19 tracker, the management of the Accra Digital Center, the many stealing of computers and corrupt deals at Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) led by Abraham Kofi Asante which she had promised to investigate but nothing came out. Former Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu, will have to account for Aker Energy, Ameri, Karpower…the beating of Bailiffs, his threats to kill some MPs in open court at the heated swearing-in ceremony of MPs on January 7, 2021, which was captured live on TV, the many deals at the Energy Ministry and the involvement of members of the President’s family, as well as his friends. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Former Procurement Minister, Adwoa Safo, who have been reshuffled will have some serious issues to respond to. While Opoku Prempeh, will be responding to issues on Free SHS, Adwoa Sarfo will finally be speaking to the scandal which occurred at the public procurement authority, leading to the dismissal of the boss Agyenim Boateng Adjei by President Akufo-Addo. The abrasive Godfred Dame, has also dislodged his boss, the cool-headed Gloria Akuffo as Akufo-Addo Attorney-General. Gloria Akuffo, had shot down most of the deals which had the Akufo-Addo family involved by raising legal opinion which saved the country resources and key amongst them is the Agyapa/Asase Royalties deal. Many have questioned the reasoning behind selecting her abrasive and hot-headed deputy, who is the toast of NPP social media operatives. Yeboah-Dame, had written a damning legal opinion on the Ministry of Finance and Bank of Ghana’s wrongful liquidation of the Unibank in the banking

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Meet the ministers who have lost their jobs in Akufo-Addo’s 2nd term
Politics

Meet the ministers who have lost their jobs in Akufo-Addo’s 2nd term

Some former ministers of state will not be part of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s new administration. This was confirmed by the list of minister-nominees released by the presidency on Thursday, January 21. After the president was sworn into office for his second term, he decided to reduce the number of his ministers from 126 to 85 in response to long-standing criticism. Due to this, some ministries in his first term have been realigned while seven other ministries have been completely scrapped. The January 21 list from the presidency shows the president has nominated 46 persons. “The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has submitted to Parliament for prior approval, through the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin…” a release from the presidency signed by Eugene Arhin, Acting Director of Communication said. Check out the names of ministers who have lost their jobs, and will thus not be returning to their offices. 1. Gloria Akuffo – Attorney General and Minister for Justice 2. Halima Mahama – Local Government 3. Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh – Lands and Natural Resources 4. Atta Akyea – Works and Housing 5. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye – Fisheries 6. Cynthia Morrison – Gender, Children and Social Protection 7. Kofi Dzamesi – Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs 8. Isaac Kwame Asiamah – Youth and Sports 9. Anthony Akoto Osei – Monitoring and Evaluation 10. Dr Mustapha Hamid – Zongo Affairs and Inner City Development 11. Barbara Oteng Gyasi – Tourism 12. Joe Ghartey – Railway Development 13. Kofi Adda – Aviation 14. Prof Frimpong Boateng – Environment, Science and Technology 15. Prof Gyan Baffuor – Planning 16. Yaw Osafo-Maafo – Senior Minister 17. Kwamena Duncan – Central Regional Minister Check out the full list of ministers for Akufo-Addo’s second term below: Gahanweb Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093.

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