Ghana’s Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has criticised President John Mahama for what he described as a “slow and piecemeal” approach to appointing ministers. His comments came after Mahama nominated his first three ministers: Dr Cassiel Ato Forson as Finance Minister, John Jinapor as Energy Minister, and Dr Dominic Ayine as Attorney General and Minister for Justice.

Speaking in Parliament, Afenyo-Markin referred to the appointments as “tot tot,” questioning the government’s readiness to lead effectively after promising swift governance.

“When the names were read out by Mr Speaker, only three names were mentioned. This ‘tot tot’ appointment is unacceptable. This government promised a 24-hour economy, but where are the remaining ministers?” he said. Afenyo-Markin added that Ghanaians were expecting nominations for key ministries, including Agriculture, Roads and Highways, Lands and Natural Resources, and Education.

The Minority Leader also raised concerns over the government’s decision to release the list of nominees to the media before officially presenting it to Parliament, accusing it of undermining parliamentary procedure.

Meanwhile, Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh reassured the public that the vetting process for the nominees would be thorough. He praised Parliament’s leadership for setting up the necessary committees to handle the appointments efficiently.

“The President has made it clear that he will not appoint more than 60 ministers, and I commend the Speaker and leadership for proactively establishing the necessary committees,” he said.

Annoh-Dompreh also warned the nominees to be well-prepared for the vetting, stating that it would not be “business as usual.”

In response, Majority Leader Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah called for cooperation from the Minority, acknowledging the challenges of the transition. He urged the opposition to work with the government to ensure the smooth running of parliamentary business.

“We understand this difficult transition and have allowed the Minority Leader to express his frustrations. However, we expect the Minority to be productive and cooperative, just as we were in ensuring government business was conducted,” he said.

Source:TheDotNews