A cross-section of residents at Dormaa-Ahenkro have commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo for the nomination of Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa Central, as the Health Minister-designate.

According to them, it was a right step which would help to consolidate and build on the successes and achievements he chalked in his first term.

They described him as hard-working, accommodating, patriotic and a people-lover who seeks the general well-being and development of particularly his constituents and Ghanaians in general.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono Region, Barima Oppong Yaw Boabasa, the ‘Gyaasehene’ of Dormaa Traditional Area applauded President Akufo-Addo, saying his tenure as MP had brought unprecedented progress to the Dormaa Central Constituency and beyond.

Those achievements served as a great impetus for him to win the Dormaa Central seat for the NPP in both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections for the fourth time, he said.

Barima Boabasa stated by his track record since 1992, working assiduously under former President Kufuor's regime as a Deputy Minister and later in Akufo-Addo's government as a Health Minister, he discharged his duties diligently and faithfully.

He, therefore, appealed to the Parliamentary Vetting Committee to clear him for confirmation and advised Mr Agyemang-Manu to work even harder to continue to earn praise both nationally and internationally.

Mr Clement Obeng, Communication Aide Member for Mr Agyemang-Manu, lauded the Health Minister-designate’s nomination, particularly at a time the President decided to reduce the number of Ministries and the size of his government.

Touching on his commitment and nationalistic character, Mr Obeng cited "even when he was supposed to have been deterred by COVID-19, Mr Agyemang-Manu persisted and fought to put Ghana on the first position in Africa and third globally in terms of the countries with immediate response, good and efficient management of the pandemic.”

"Historically, he is the first Health Minister and a Cabinet Minister from Dormaa to serve two terms in office, if he goes through the vetting successfully and gets the Committee's approval”, he added.

"Globally, Mr Agyemang-Manu has gained international acclaim as a Board Member for the Global Alliance for Vaccination and World Health Organisation, all through the immense and significant role he played at the Health Ministry in the first term of Akufo-Addo’s government", Mr Obeng indicated.

Aged 66 and married with 6 children, Mr Agyemang-Manu holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Statistics, and is an Associate Chartered Management Accountant.

From 1990 to 1994 he was an accountant at Mim Timber Company Limited in the Ahafo Region and a Director of Finance at Toyota Ghana Limited.

Under the government of President Kufuor, Mr Agyemang-Manu served on different times as a Deputy Minister of State at the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Interior, Finance, Communications and Roads and Transport.

The Dormaa Central MP has served on the Boards of institutions such as the Small Arms Commission of Ghana, the Ghana Revenue Authority, Bank of Ghana and the Divestiture Implementation Committee.

Mr Agyemang-Manu was also the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority in 2006 and the Vice-Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

He later became the substantive Chair of the Committee during the sixth Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic that spanned January 2013 to January 2017.