The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has lauded its Members of Parliament for their overwhelming support in the recent vote to approve President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s ministerial and justice nominees. The party also extended its appreciation to National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers who voted in favor of the nominees. The NPP took to Twitter to express their gratitude, stating,
“Kudos to our gallant MPs for standing firmly behind the Government and ensuring that the President’s nominees for Ministers of State and Deputy Minister as well as for the Supreme Court were approved! The nation is also grateful to the brave NDC MPs who stood for #GhanaFirst.”
Kudos to our gallant MPs for standing firmly behind the Government and ensuring that the President’s nominees for Ministers of State and Deputy Minister as well as for the Supreme Court were approved! The nation is also grateful to the brave NDC MPs who stood for #GhanaFirst. 🇬🇭
— New Patriotic Party (@NPP_GH) March 24, 2023
The approval vote on Friday, March 24th was a significant milestone as Parliament confirmed the nominations of Justices George Kingsley Koomson and Ernest Yao Gaewu for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court. Justice Kingsley Koomson received 139 “Yes” votes while Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu had 138 “Yes” votes. This was in addition to the approval of all ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after a vote.
After the ballot, Speaker Alban Bagbin announced the results,
“Honorable Members, at long last collation of votes has ended…The House has accordingly approved the nominations of the following persons as ministers and a deputy minister in accordance with 79(1) of the constitution.”
Prior to the vote, there were intense exchanges regarding the report of the Appointments Committee on the recent vetting of the nominees. The Minority members on the Committee had denied knowledge of the report, asking for more time to study it, which led to a suspension of proceedings. After the debate, Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin postponed putting the question on the motion for the approval or otherwise of the nominees until the following day.
Overall, this is a positive development for Ghana’s political landscape, as the approval of the nominees by the Parliament is a crucial step in ensuring that the government can effectively execute its agenda for the benefit of the nation.