The Member of Parliament for Wa Central, Dr Rashid Pelpuo says he has been left disappointed by the outcome of the voting held in parliament on the approval of six ministerial nominees on Friday, March 24, 2023.
Despite his disappointment, the National Democratic Congress MP urged members of the party to keep their sights on the pursuit for power in 2024.
“Never been so terribly disappointed! But the object of this vote was not only to win but to demonstrate our non cooperation. We won that. The bandwagon to the big verdict moves on to 2024. The bad economy and bad governance will still be the subject. Those who willfully transgress the common cause will and must repent. The will to win is stronger,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Parliament approves all six nominees, two Supreme Court Justices:
Parliament on Friday, March 24 approved all six ministerial nominees of president Akufo-Addo after a heated debate, 24 hours prior and a tense voting process.
Final results declared by Speaker Alban Bagbin showed that all nominees got more votes than the minimum of 138 votes required because out of the 275 eligible voters, there were three absent.
Below are the final figures for each nominee:
Total eligible 275
Absentees = 3
Total valid votes = 272
Hon KT Hammond, Minister for Trade and Industry
Yes = 154
No = 116
Rejected = 1
Abstention = 1
Bryan Acheampong, Minister for Food and Agriculture
Yes = 167
No = 98
Rejected = 1
Abstention = 3
Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs
Yes = 147
No = 122
Abstention = 3
Mohammed Amin
Yes = 152
No = 117
Rejected = 1
Abstentions = 2
Osei Bonsu Amoah
Yes = 149
No = 120
Abstentions = 2
Stephen Amoah, deputy minister of Trade and Industry
Yes = 146
No = 123
Abstentions = 3
Meanwhile, Parliament also voted on the report of two remaining two Supreme Court justice nominees appointed by Akufo-Addo.
At the end of a vote demanded by the Minority, both nominees were approved by a slight majority. George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal got 139 YES votes against 133 NO votes, whiles Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, Justice of the High Court got 138 YES and 134 NO votes.