Appointment Committee Chair, Minority leader disagree over Osafo Maafo approval

Chairman of Parliament’s Appointment Committee Joseph Osei-Owusu has insisted all 13 ministers-designate vetted are set for parliamentary approval although the Minority leader disagrees.

The Minority leader Haruna Idrrisu told Joy News there is consensus on all but one nominee – the Senior minister-designate Yaw Osafo Maafo.

Mr Maafo is one of the troubled two nominees whose recommendation has been pending since Monday.

The nominee who is a former Finance Minister is yet to disentangle himself from claims that he made some ethnocentric comments in November 2015.

According to Mr Iddrisu such “nation-wrecking comment should not be tolerated.”

This is at the heart of the Minority’s problem with the nominee who during vetting claimed his comments have been misconstrued.

An unconvinced Minority want to listen to the tape to determine the veracity of his claims.

Mr Iddrisu said the Appointment Committee has passed all except Osaafo Marfo a determination for which he said would be made on Monday.

But Joe Osei Owusu told Joy News, “I can assure you that all the 13 nominees have been cleared and the report will reflect that.”

He said Mr Maafo has supplied enough information to satisfy the Committee which would forward his name for approval.

The Senior minister-designate was not the only nominee to have run into problems with the Committee.

Energy minister-designate Boakye Agyarko’s approval was also put on hold after the Minority said it wants the nominee to substantiate claims he made during his vetting last Saturday.

In one of the claims, Boakye Agyarko claimed the World Bank pressurized then President John Dramani Mahama into some policy decisions.

It appears the Committee no longer has a problem with the nominee. It is not clear when Parliament will approve the list of vetted ministers-designate.

Credit:myjoyonline.com