Ministerial Nominees Appear Before Appointments Committee

Four ministerial nominees have appeared before the appointments committee of parliament, which is assessing their competence and capacity to handle the positions they have been nominated to occupy. The nominees are Yaw Barimah for Works and Housing, Edward Osei Kwaku for Youth and Sports, Kassim Kasanga for Lands and Forestry and Prince Imoro Andani for the Northern Region.

Our correspondent, Ato Kwamena Dadzie reports that the 51-year-old Works and Housing Minister-designate, Yaw Barimah was the first to face the 25-member appointments committee. He, like the other nominees after him, answered questions about his background and his vision for the ministry he’s been nominated to head.

He was forthright in his responses, tried to steer clear of controversy but was nevertheless compelled to touch on the controversy surrounding the 41 million cedi ‘gift’ for the works on the private residence of President Kufuor.

Mr Barimah admitted that although there is a possibility that the President could be influenced by the gift, it is important to be concerned with “reasonable probabilities and not fantastic possibilities.”

Mr. Yaw Barimah, who is also the MP for Koforidua also promised to continue the work of his predecessor, Kwamena Bartels who launched a crusade against those who build houses in unauthorized areas.

The MP for Asokwa West, Edward Osei-Kwaku, is set to become Ghana’s third Youth and Sports Minister in nine months. His former position as board member of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and his love for football notwithstanding, Mr. Osei-Kwaku told the appointment committee that he will deal equitably and fairly with all. But Mr. Osei-Kwaku, who will turn 59 on the 14th of this month, made it clear that he will not support female boxing in any part of the world.

Mr. Osei-Kwaku, did not allow himself to be drawn into the controversy over the 25,000-dollar gift for the senior national football team, the Black Stars after a world cup qualifier against Nigeria.

When he took his turn before the panel, Northern Regional Minister-designate, Prince Imoro Andani, said his main focus will be to eradicate poverty in the region. Minister designate for Lands and Forestry, Prof. Kassim Kasanga, moving from academia to the real world, promised to do his best if he is given the opportunity to serve at the ministry.

But he knows where he is coming from, that is the Land Economy Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and that’s where he will return to if he fails at the Ministry of Lands and Forestry.