Despite being vilified for her weak command over the Queen’s language and not fit for purpose for the portfolio (Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture) designated to her by the President of the Republic of Ghana, Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson polled a surprise 161 votes, representing 60.75% in the secret ballot on Thursday dawn.
The exercise which was supervised by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on the floor of the House had 265 Members of Parliament out of the 275 voting.
It also saw the Minister-designate for the Ministry of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah as well as the Minister-designate for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who had also been rejected by the NDC members on the Appointments Committee, also had their nominations being approved.
Oppong Nkrumah polled 155 Yes votes against 110 No votes, representing 58.65% of the total votes cast while Mr. Akoto also garnered 143 Yes vote as against 121 No votes, representing 53.96%.
Ten other ministerial nominees were also approved by consensus.
They are: Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey – Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Yaw Osei Adutwum – Education, and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu – Parliamentary Affairs, Albert Kan-Dapaah – National Security, Dominic Nitiwul – Defense.
The rest are: Ignatius Baffuor Awuah – Employment and Labour Relations and Sarah Adwoa Safo – Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh – Energy, Dan Botwe – Local government, decentralisation and rural development, Ambrose Dery – Interior.
