NPP Rejects Mumuni, Sherry

Alhaji Mohammad Mumuni PRESIDENT JOHN Evans Atta Mills' Ministers-designate, Alhaji Mohammad Mumuni and Ms. Sherry Ayitey, who have been nominated for the Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration; and Environment, Science and Technology Ministries respectively are facing rejection by the Minority side in the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

DAILY GUIDE has gathered that the two nominees have failed to get consensual approval at the Committee level as a result of various allegations of improprieties in audit reports hanging around their necks although they have been passed by majority decision.

The Ministers-designate, DAILY GUIDE has learnt, would be referred to the House for a vote to be taken on them, a process anticipated to stair controversy and attract heated debate on the floor of Parliament.

It would be recalled that there was a heated debate when Alhaji Mumuni appeared before the Appointments Committee a few days ago over a 2004 audit report accusing him of causing financial loss of billions of old Ghana cedis to the state, compelling the Minority side to stage a walk-out.

The Minority, however, returned later to vet Ms. Ayitey who had also been allegedly implicated together with others by the Auditor-General in the case in which GIHOC Nsawam Cannery was purchased by the 31st December Women's Movement headed by Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

Ms Ayitey, who is the Treasurer of the 31st DWM, was among the suspects put before court on the matter until the immediate past government filed a nolle prosequi to discontinue the case.

Twenty-four Ministers-designate have so far been approved by Parliament to be Ministers of State and regional ministers, pursuant to Articles 78(1) and 256 respectively, leaving Alhaji Mumuni and Ms. Ayitey in a limbo even though they had been vetted long before most of the nominees.

Yesterday, 13 nominees were unanimously approved by the Legislature in addition to 11 who had been okayed earlier by the House.

They are Ms. Hannah Tetteh, Minister for Trade & Industry; Lt. Gen. Joseph Henry Smith (RTD), Defence; Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Communications; Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, Youth & Sports; Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister; Kofi Opoku-Manu, Ashanti Region.

The rest are Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Central Regional Minister; Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Brong Ahafo; Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Region; Hon. Nii Armah Ashitey, Greater Accra; Hon. Joseph Zaphenat Amenowode, Volta Region; Hon. Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Region and Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern Regional Minister.

By Awudu Mahama