... holds both Ghanaian and US citizenship
... Govt did not do background check
Accra, June 2, GNA - Mr Lawrence Akwasi Agyeman-Prempeh, a man nominated by the President for the position of Deputy Minister of the Ashanti Region may not have the approval of Parliament after all. The man, who had at point in his life contracted the citizenship of the United State of America could not provide a tentative answer when asked if he had renounced that citizenship.

According to Article 94 (2a) of the constitution, a person legible to be a Member of Parliament must not owe allegiance to any other country other than Ghana.

Article 49 (2) of the Constitution also states that a person needed to qualify as a Member of Parliament before he could be a Deputy Minister of State.

Mr Agyeman-Prempeh has for a considerable number of years worked and lived in the United States and was now the National Co-ordinator, District Industries Programme, which used to be Rural Enterprises Development Programme.

Source close to the Appointments Committee of Parliament said that if indeed Mr Agyeman-Prempeh had not denounce his US citizenship, he was in breach of the Constitution and therefore, not legible to be a Deputy Minister of State.

The committee would soon present its report on the sixteen nominees vetted this week to Parliament where the actual authority to approve or not to approve lies.

Version II

Lawrence Akwasi Agyeman Prempeh holds both Ghanaian and American citizenship.

The committee has rejected his nomination in accordance with the 1992 Constitution, which bars prospective members of parliament and ministers from holding dual citizenship.

The JOYFM Parliamentary correspondent Bennet Frimpong reports that when the nominee appeared before the Vetting committee, the MP for Sene, Twumasi Appiah asked him if he holds any other citizenship

Mr. Prempeh replied: ?I do. I have Ghanaian citizenship and American Citizenship?

The MP further stressed the question but owing to some agitation among some majority NPP MPs on the committee, the nominee answered no to the question.

Mr. Twumasi Appiah then reminded him of the oath he had sworn before the committee and then went ahead to ask the question again.

This time the nominee answered he holds a dual citizenship but added it did not bar him from taking the position.

But Article 79, 2 of the 1992 Constitution says to qualify for the post of a deputy minister, the nominee needs to be a Member of Parliament or qualifies to be one.

Article 94, 2(a) however says one does not qualify to be elected as a Member of Parliament if the person holds allegiance to another country.

So the committee members at a close door sitting agreed that Mr. Agyeman Prempeh is thus disqualified on those grounds and the President would have to make another nomination.

The Committee would forward its report to Parliament for approval next week.

Mr. Agyeman Prempeh is currently the NPP constituency chairman for Oforikrom in Kumasi.

He is also the National Coordinator of the District Industries Programme under the Ministry of Trade and Industries.

His nomination as deputy minister of Ashanti region sparked some controversy in Kumasi with some arguing that he was not the man for the job now.