General News of Friday, 10 February 2017

Source: starrfmonline.com

Minority rejects Catherine Afeku’s approval

Minister-designate for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Catherine Afeku Minister-designate for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Catherine Afeku

The Minority in parliament has rejected the nomination of the Tourism, Arts and Culture minister-designate, Catherine Afeku over her failure to do National Service, StarrFMonline.com has gathered.

According to the minority, their rejection of Mrs. Afeku’s nomination was a matter of principle.

Starr News’ Parliamentary Correspondent, Ibrahim Alhassan stated that the minority believe it would be hypocritical to pass the Tourism, Arts and Culture minister-designate after rejecting the nomination of the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba on similar ground.

Even though the appointment Committee report is not ready yet, Alhassan said he gathered that “all the others will be approved by consensus but for Catherine Afeku,” if nothing changes before the report was ready.

Mrs. Afeku told the Appointments Committee of Parliament during her vetting that she did not do national service as required by law.

According to her, she could not honour her constitutional obligation because she was living outside the country at the time she completed her tertiary education.

“I was living in Nairobi, Kenya at that time and because my parents were there, I was not given the opportunity to be in Ghana to undertake the national service, so, no I did not do national service, I actually worked in Kenya; for the three months that I came out of university…I was not in Ghana at that time,” she explained.