Kwaku Agyeman-Manu and Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister-nominees for Health and National Security respectively, will be appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament today Wednesday as part of the vetting process for ministers to-be.

The two occupied those same portfolios during President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s first term.

They are the first and second nominees respectively, of the 46 sector ministers and regional ministers to-be, who will be vetted.

Haruna Iddrisu, a Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee and Minority Leader gave two reasons why the two minister-nominees will be vetted first before the others.

First is the critical nature of their work, and especially the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has adjourned parliamentary sittings for three weeks until 2nd March, following an upsurge in COVID-19 cases among MPs and Parliamentary Service Staff.

In a statement read to MPs on Tuesday, February 9, the Speaker disclosed that some 17 MPs and 151 Parliamentary staff and ancillary workers in Parliament have tested positive for COVID-19.

However, he stressed that the Appointments Committee will go ahead with the vetting of the president's nominees for ministerial portfolios during the adjournment.

"It is hoped that within this period of adjournment, the Appointments Committee will commence consideration and public hearing of the president's nominees for ministerial appointments," the Speaker said.

"By the end of the three weeks, the Appointments Committee would have submitted reports on the referral for the consideration of the House.’

About Kwaku Agyeman-Manu

At age 65, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu is a product of the University of Ghana where he obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Statistics. He also graduated from the London School of Accountancy where he studied and became a Chartered Management Accountant.

He served as Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Interior, Finance, Roads and Transport, Communications, and also served briefly as Acting Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority.

He was elected MP for Dormaa Central Constituency in 2008.

Prior to taking up the position of a Deputy Minister in former President Kufuor’s administration, he was the Director of Finance for Toyota Ghana Company Limited.

About Albert Kan Dapaah

Albert Kan-Dapaah, 67, studied Accountancy at the Institute of Professional Studies, now UPSA of Accra.

In 1975, he enrolled at the North East London Polytechnic, London, and then at AT Emile Woolf College of Accountancy, where he obtained qualifications in Accountancy.

He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), U.K., and a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG).

He has in the past worked as an employee of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and Electricity of Company Ghana respectively as Director of Audit.

He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Afigya Sekyere West Constituency from January 1997 to 2013.

He became Minister for Energy in the Kufuor administration after the NPP won power in the 2000 elections.

During the April 2003 cabinet reshuffle, he became the Minister for Communications and Technology.

He also became Minister for the Interior during Kufuor’s second term.