Dr Benjamin Kunbuor
PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY approved the third batch of five ministerial nominees of President John Dramani Mahama for appointment as ministers of state, with the Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the House abstaining.
The nominees who received the endorsement of the House were Dr. Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor, in charge of Government Business in Parliament; Haruna Iddrisu, Trade and Industry; Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong, Justice and Attorney-General; Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Energy and Petroleum; and Dzifa Aku Ativor, Transport.
The Minority NPP caucus in Parliament again declined to participate in the approval of President Mahama’s ministerial nominees in sticking to its resolve not to give legitimacy to the president as the party is challenging the election of the first gentleman of the land at the Supreme Court.
Presenting its report for the approval of the nominees, the Appointments Committee of Parliament, chaired by First Deputy Speaker Ebo Barton-Odro, indicated it had carried out its work diligently in accordance with the 1992 Constitution and Standing Orders of the House.
According to Barton-Odro, who is also the MP for Cape Coast North, the committee was satisfied as the nominees fully met the requirements of the constitution for appointment as ministers of state.
In a related development, the House yesterday unanimously approved a report of the Committee of Selection on the composition of committees of the House.
The House has Standing, Special or Ad Hoc and Select Committees through which it conducts its business.
Standing Order 153 of the House stipulates that except for Deputy Speakers and Leaders of Parliamentary Parties, every member must be appointed to a least but not more than three of the Standing Committees of the House.
Just before the approval of the membership of the committees, Tarkwa-Nsuaem MP Eugenia Gifty Kusi bemoaned the fact that female lawmakers were not in four committees including Government Assurances, Mines and Energy, Works and Housing; and Defence and Interior.
Consequently, Speaker Edward Doe Adjaho directed the leadership of the House to take her concerns on board to ensure the committees reflected proper gender balance.
Standing Committees of the House
Standing Committees include Standing Orders Committee, Business Committee, Committee of Privileges, Public Accounts Committee, Subsidiary Legislation Committee, House Committee and Finance Committee.
The rest are Appointments Committee, the Committee on Members Holding Office of Profit, Committee on Government Assurances, Committee on Gender and Children, Special Budget Committee and Committee on the Judiciary.
Special Ad Hoc
This is made up of only the Committee on Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Select Committees
These include Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Committee on Lands and Forestry, Committee on Health, Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Committee on Works and Housing.
The rest are Committee on Local Government and Rural Development, Committee on Communications, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises, Committee on Defence and the Interior.
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