Vetting of Injury-Time Ministers

THE SIR Charles Emmanuel Quit's Conference room in Parliament House would be the centre of attraction among political analysts, journalists and those interested in the goings on in our politics as it will be the venue for the vetting of those who have been named by President J. A. Kufuor, to be vetted for ministerial positions, starting next Monday.

As the day draws nearer, anxiety is mounting among the nominees who are considered by many, especially opposition hardliners as 'injury time' Ministers who are to be introduced into the game to help the President bring his two four-year terms to an end on January 6, 2009.

In all, a total of 23 names have been mentioned either as Ministers, Ministers of State or Deputy Ministers. Twelve of them were announced last week and are expected to appear before the Appointments' Committee of Parliament between Monday and Wednesday next week.

But before The Chronicle could stop its search engines from combing the worldwide web and schools for information on the backgrounds of the 12 who were announced last week to let readers know the backgrounds of the Ministerial nominees, another list of eleven prospective Ministers had been put out by the President.

The Alban Bagbin-led opposition Legislators and especially those of them on the Appointments' Committee would as usual, be readying themselves for the kill, by arming themselves to the tooth with all the necessary background information on the nominees that would enable them punch the ministerial candidates with the heavyweight questions capable of sending an unwary prospective minister gazing round for a rescue team.

Obiri-Boahen

Already, signals have been dropped that the opposition would want to block the outspoken Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NPP and nominee for Minister of State at the Interior Ministry, Nana Obiri-Boahen.

The Sunyani-based Legal Practitioner might have just increased his own predicament when he sought to discredit the recent comments made by the NDC presidential candidate, Professor Atta Mills to the effect that there was the need to prevent what looked like contract killings which was growing in the country.

Nana Obiri-Boahen, 47, is a product of the University of Ghana and the Ghana Law School and has had an accomplished legal career. He is a former Regional President of the Ghana Bar Association, a Member of the International Bar Association and Amnesty International. He is also a former CEO of Bofoakwa Football Club, former Youth Organizer of the Danquah- Busiah Club and first Youth organizer of the NPP.

Osei Adjei

Another candidate for vetting is Hon. Kwesi Osei Adjei, Member of Parliament for Ejisu-Juaben who has been elevated from Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to become the substantive Minister for that important portfolio.

Mr. Adjei has ten years parliamentary experience and has never appeared before the Committee to be vetted for the position of a Deputy Minister. He is therefore tipped not to encounter so much difficulties in the vetting process though, NDC heavyweight, and MP for Lawra Nandom, Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor can always send the best of a candidate on a thinking mission through his hard-hitting questions.

Baidoe-Ansah

Forty-three years old Joe Baidoe-Ansah moves away from the Tourism and Diasporan Relations Ministry as Deputy Minister to be vetted to assume duty as Minister of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives (PSI). If approved by the Freddie Blay -chaired Appointments' Committee, he will be replacing Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, who has also resigned to pursue the presidential ticket of the NPP.

Hon. Baidoe-Ansah, MP for Effia-Kwesimintsim in the Western Region, worked as the News Editor of the Independent Newspaper before going to Parliament in 2001. He holds a Diploma in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and allegedly, a Master of Arts (Human Rights) from the University of London.

Akomeah and others

Hon. Nana Akomeah, who featured in the starting lineup of the NPP but was dropped after the first half of four years, joins the team again to the end of President Kufuor's political game. Nana, 46, is the MP for Okaikoi South and holds a Graduate Diploma in Communications Studies from the University of Ghana.

He has ten years parliamentary experience and is currently the Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Trade. He also has the advantage of having an experience in the vetting process, haven gone through the same thing in 2001, and he is therefore expected to be able to jump over hurdles that may be posed by Kumbour or Bagbin.

Others billed for vetting next week include, Mrs. Oboshie Sai-Cofie for the Information Ministry, Dr. B. Aggrey Ntim, for Ministry of Communications; Mrs. S. Owusu-Agyei; Minister of State in charge of Public Sector Reform and Ms. Cecelia Abena Dapaah, Minister of State at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing.