Ministerial reshuffle: Vetting of new appointees underway

The Appointments Committee of Parliament will today, March 5, begin assessing ministers of state and deputies proposed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for approval or otherwise by the House.

The vetting exercise will last until Tuesday, March 12. The exercise consists of a thorough assessment of the individuals appointed by the President based on their qualifications, expertise, and suitability for their respective portfolios.

Ministers

Those nominated as ministers of state include a former Deputy Minister of Health and immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye.

Dr Okoe-Boye takes over from Kwaku Agyeman-Manu as the Minister of Health.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Mfantseman in the Central Region, Ophelia Mensah Hayford, takes over from Dr. Kwaku Afriyie as the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

A former Deputy Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, takes over from her boss, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who is now Minister of Works and Housing as the Minister of Information while newcomer, Dakoa Newman, NPP MP for Okaikoi South, goes to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

Another new entrant, Lydia Seyram Alhassan NPP MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, who is immediate past first Deputy Majority Chief Whip, has been nominated for the Sanitation and Water Resources Ministry while a former Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, NPP MP for Techiman South, has been nominated as substantive Minister for the same portfolio.

Also, the Deputy Minister of Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer,NPP MP for Sekondi, was appointed as the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture designate, while a former Deputy Minister of Transport, Titus Glover, takes over from the Greater Accra Minister, Henry Quartey, who has been reassigned as the Minister for the Interior.

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Last on the minister’s list is the Assistant Registrar of the Ghana Institute of Journalism, now UniMAC, Daniel Machator, a minister designate for the Oti Region.

Deputies

The NPP MP for Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh, is the Deputy Minister nominee for Information, while the NPP MP for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, is the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development designate.

The rest of the deputy minister nominees are Charles Acheampong, Communications and Digitalisation; Adelaide Ntim (Health), Alexander Akwasi Acquah (Health ); Dr Prince Hamidu Armah (Works and Housing); Akwasi Konadu (Lands and Natural Resources); Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaba (Fisheries and Aquaculture Development); John Kobina Sanie and Collins Adomako Mensah (Energy); Prof. Kingsley Nyarko (Education); Festus Awuah Kwofie (Employment and Labour Relations); and Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah (Gender, Children and Social Protection).

Read the full schedule below:

Tuesday, March 5:

9 am: Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Minister-designate for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture

10 am: Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Minister-designate for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources

11 am: Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Minister-designate for the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development

12 pm: Ophelia Mensah Hayford, Minister-designate for the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation

2 pm: Darkoa Newman, Minister-designate for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection

Thursday, March 7:

9 am: Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, Minister-designate for the Ministry of Health

10 am: Titus Glover, Minister-designate for the Greater Accra Region

11 am: Fatimatu Abubakar, Minister-designate for the Ministry of Information

2 pm: Daniel Machator, Minister-designate for the Oti Region

Friday, March 9:

9 am: Dr Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah, Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection

10 am: Sylvester Tetteh, Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Information

11 am: Charles Acheampong, Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation

12 pm: Adelaide Ntim, Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Health

2 pm: Alexander Akwasi Acquah, Deputy Minister-designate for the Health Ministry

Monday, March 11:

9 am: Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development

10 am: John Kobina Sanie, Deputy Minister-designate for the Energy Ministry

10 am: Collins Adomako Mensah, Deputy Minister-designate at the Energy Ministry

12 pm: Dr Prince Hamidu Armah, Deputy Minister-designate for the Works and Housing Ministry

Tuesday, March 12:

9 am: Kingsley Nyarko, Deputy Minister-designate for the Education Ministry

10 am: Festus Awuah Kwofie, Deputy Minister-designate for the Employment and Labour Ministry

11 am: Akwasi Konadu, Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

12 pm: Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaba, Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Development