The Appointments Committee of Parliament chaired by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, will start vetting ministers-designate nominated by President Nana Akufo-Addo from Friday, January 20.

Four ministers-designate will appear before the committee on Friday. They are Senior Minister-designate, Yaw Osafo-Maafo; Minister-designate for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah; Minister-designate for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and Minister-designate for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul.

On Saturday, January 21, the vetting will continue with Minister-designate for Interior, Ambrose Dery and Attorney-General-designate, Gloria Akuffo, also appearing.

Four ministers-designate will then face the committee on Monday, January 23.

They are the Minister-designate for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama; Minister-designate for Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Minister-designate for Energy, Boakye Agyarko. On Tuesday, January 24, the remaining three of the first batch of the president’s nominees will also appear,

These include Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Minister-designate for Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh and Minister-designate for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu.

This vetting process promises to be an exciting one as members of the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the Appointments Committee are bent on ‘stretching’ the new ministers-designate.

The minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, told the media in parliament after the names were communicated to the MPs, that as minority, they would look at the intelligence levels of the ministers-designate, their dispositions and suitability for the positions assigned to them when they appear before the committee.