The Roads and Highways Minister, Kwesi Amoako-Atta suffered the ritual brunt that commuters in the Sissala municipality and district go through on the bumpy and deplorable roads in the enclave when the land cruiser he was traveling in had a flat tire. The minister had to alight from the marooned air-conditioned car for a jaded and weak wooden bench kept in small shades of the sun whilst his driver replaced the punctured tire. The tour of the roads and highways minister to the area forms part of his three-day working visit to the Upper West region to inspect ongoing works on roads that were washed away by violent flash floods on August 12. The twin Sissala municipality and district is the food basket of the region. The reality however is that they have the worst roads in the region which has contributed largely to post-harvest losses. Four months ago, they were a protest from Chiefs and youth groups from the area about the blatant omission of the enclave from a 35 million euro funded project christened farm access roads. It angered residents of the area prompting protests from chiefs and the Sissala youth forum. The issue failed to simmer down when the Roads and Highways minister met chiefs and members of the Sissala Youth Forum. Paramount chief of the Zinni traditional area, Kuoro Abu Dyakah Sukabe Nania V, told the minister that they have been discriminated against and marginalized for a long and they were running out of patience. ‘‘We feel marginalized and were at the tipping point. I am expressing the emotion and sentiments of the people in the Sissala enclave. We feel we are not part. The disaster happened, mobilization came and all that they could do was to send the kit somewhere. Must we have to wait for disaster to happen before we choose,’’ he quizzed. ‘‘Our next-door neighbor, Burkina Faso, just about 12 kilometers from here, the roads are tarred to the Burkinabe capital but you look at our major trunk roads none of them is tarred,’’ he lamented. Roads and Highways Minister, Kwesi Amoako-Atta pledged the commitment of the government to work to give a facelift o to roads in the Sissala enclave. —Yen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Minister designates and why minority denied them approval
So far these are Minister designates in Akufo Addo’s second administration currently having issues with their approval as far as the minority side of the Appointments Committee is concerned. Below are the reasons why they were not approved at the same time with the rest of the 22 already Unanimously approved by the Appointment Committee of Parliament. Kwesi Amoako-Atta It is believed that on the Roads and Highways portfolio, the clarification they may be seeking has to do with the Tema road contract before they approve the nominee, Kwesi Amoako-Atta. Oppong Nkrumah The sources say, members of the minority side of the Appointments Committee accused Oppong Nkrumah, as being the one who called for a member of the legal team of the petitioner in the ongoing Election 2020 petition, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to be cited for contempt, after Ayine told the media on 16 February 2021, that the Supreme Court has a predetermined agenda to rule in favour of President Akufo-Addo. Ursula Owusu Ekuful The approval of the Minister-designate for Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, is also on hold because the Minority side says they require some clarification on the closure of some radio stations in the country. Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto In the case of the Minister for Food and Agriculture-designate, Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto, members of the Minority side of the Appointments Committee accused him of being arrogant when he appeared before the committee and on that basis, they will not approve of his nomination. Hawa Koomson As for Hawa Koomson, the Minority side of the Appointments Committee, are of the opinion that she is not fit for the job. John Amewu Peter John Peter Amewu, the former Minister for Energy who supervised the PDS deal and has been nominated by the president to serve as the Minister for Railways Development in his second administration, has his approval also on hold. The minority side of the Appointments Committee say they require some clarification on some answers the minister-designate provided during his vetting on the PDS deal. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu The Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu‘s appointment, according to our source is on hold because the Minority side of the Appointments Committee say he did not satisfy them with his answers on questions regarding the engagement of Frontier to offer COVID-19 testing services at the airport some time in September 2020. Godfred Yeboah Dame The Agyapa Gold Royalties deal and the answers given by the Minister for Justice and Attorney General-designate, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to questions posed by some members of the Appointments Committee ought to be clarified and to that end, the Attorney General’s nomination is also on hold, one source disclosed. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Appointments Committee approves 22 ministers, eight pending
Twenty-two ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have been unanimously approved by the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Asaase Radio’s parliamentary sources have confirmed. Asaase Radio can also reveal that the committee wants clarification on five others while three may require majority decision via voting on the floor of Parliament. Three on hold According to Asaase Radio’s sources in Parliament and at the Office of the President, the Ministers-designate for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Fisheries, Hawa Koomson, could not get the approval of all 26 members of the Appointments Committee and must secure approval through voting on the floor of Parliament. The sources say, members of the minority side of the Appointments Committee accused Oppong Nkrumah, as being the one who called for a member of the legal team of the petitioner in the ongoing Election 2020 petition, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to be cited for contempt, after Ayine told the media on 16 February 2021, that the Supreme Court has a predetermined agenda to rule in favour of President Akufo-Addo. In the case of the Minister for Food and Agriculture-designate, Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto, members of the Minority side of the Appointments Committee accused him of being arrogant when he appeared before the committee and on that basis, they will not approve of his nomination. On Koomson, the Minority side of the Appointments Committee, are of the opinion that she is not fit for the job. Clarifications on five Information available to Asaase News further suggests that the Minority side of the Appointments Committee will formally communicate to the appropriate authorities to indicate the clarifications they need with regard to the remaining five nominations of President Akufo-Addo. It is believed that on the Roads and Highways portfolio, the clarification they may be seeking has to do with the Tema road contract, before they approve the nominee, Kwesi Amoako-Atta. The approval of the Minister-designate for Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, is also on hold because the Minority side says they require some clarification on the closure of some radio stations in the country. The Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu‘s appointment, according to our source is on hold because the Minority side of the Appointments Committee say he did not satisfy them with his answers on questions regarding the engagement of Frontier to offer COVID-19 testing services at the airport some time in September 2020. The Agyapa Gold Royalties deal and the answers given by the Minister for Justice and Attorney General-designate, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to questions posed by some members of the Appointments Committee ought to be clarified and to that end, the Attorney General’s nomination is also on hold, one source disclosed. John Peter Amewu, the former Minister for Energy who supervised the PDS deal and has been nominated by the president to serve as the Minister for Railways Development in his second administration, has his approval also on hold. The minority side of the Appointments Committee say they require some clarification on some answers the minister-designate provided during his vetting on the PDS deal. Asaase Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093









