Give us nominees’ CVs now for proper vetting – Minority MPs

Minority members on the Appointments Committee of Parliament, say they are yet to receive the Curriculum Vitaes (CVs) of the the government’s ministerial nominees, barely 24-hours for vetting to commence.

The Member of Parliament for Tamale North, and a member of the Committee, Alhassan Suhuyini, said the Minority members were assured they would receive the CVs today [Thursday], but says they are yet to take delivery of the CVs less than 24 hours to the commencement of vetting on Friday, January 20, 2017.

The Minority MPs have been pushing to get the CVs since yesterday [Wednesday], according to Mr. Suhuyini, a situation he described as unacceptable as it could hinder the quality of their work during the vetting.

“Today, we were assured we would get them. We have been sitting in the Minority Whip's office since 9:00am, and we don't seem to know when the CVs are getting to us; and we think that it is not going to help the process because the people of Ghana want us to ask the relevant questions especially about the caliber of people that are going to be working for them,” the MP said in a Citi News interview.

“We think that it is unacceptable. We don't want them to be giving us the CVs tomorrow [Friday] morning, when we are supposed to be vetting the nominees, and when we fail the people of Ghana there will be no excuse.”

Mr. Suhuyini indicated that, in past, the Committee sometimes got hold of the relevant CVs as early as a month to the vetting.

“But in this case, since the announcement of the names, the minority side has been seeking to get the CVs of the nominees so we can prepare ourselves adequately to do the job that the people of Ghana expect us to do,” he stated.

In this instance, there has been a seven-day window from the announcement of all the ministerial nominees and the commencement of vetting.

President Nana Akufo-Addo announced his ministerial nominees in batches with the first batch coming out on January 10, 2016.

The Appointments Committee has 26 members, and is chaired by First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu.

Out of the 36 nominees, the Committee will vet the Senior Minister-nominee, Yaw Osafo Maafo; National Security Minister-nominee, Albert Kan-Dapaah; Finance Minister-nominee, Ken Ofori-Atta and Defence Minister-nominee Dominic Nitiwul on the first day.

The first four will be followed by the Attorney-General and Justice Minister-nominee Gloria Akuffo and Interior Minister-nominee, Ambrose Dery on Saturday, January 21.

Minister-nominee of Local Government & Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama; Minister-nominee of Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; Minister-nominee for Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Minister-nominee for Energy, Boakye Agyarko will take their turn on Monday, January 23.

On Tuesday, January 24, the Committee will vet the Minister-nominee for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Minister-nominee for Education, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh and Minister-nominee for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana