President Nana Akufo-Addo has urged his new minister for the Bono Region, Evelyn Kumi-Richardson, to shame her critics and detractors who opposed her nomination by working hard.

At the swearing-in of the new minister at the Jubilee House on Tuesday night (15 April 2019), the president said: “You had a strong vote of approval”, and urged her to “work to shame those who opposed your appointment.”

Mrs Kumi-Richardson’s nomination was approved by parliament on the night of Friday, 12 April 2019 through secret ballot vote.

One hundred and twenty-four MPs voted YES for her approval while 85 MPs voted against her, out of the 210 votes cast.

One vote was rejected.

The Minority refused to approve the appointment of Mrs Kumi-Richardson last month after her appearance before Parliament’s Appointments Committee.

Doubts were cast over her doctorate degree qualification, as the Minority members on the Appointments Committee claimed she bestowed the academic laurel on herself since she failed to provide proof of it on her CV.

The Minority further accused Mrs Kumi-Richardson of spending $54,000 of state funds on a private trip to Canada while serving as the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Sunyani in 2017, defying a government directive for appointees not to travel out of the country without approval.