President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed gratitude to parliament for giving Mrs Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson the nod to become the Minister-designate for Bono Region.

Nana Akufo-Addo said his nominee will discharge her duties with integrity and concern for the public welfare.

In a Facebook post, the president said: “I thank the 124 Members of Parliament who, today, duly endorsed my nominee for appointment as Bono Regional Minister, Mrs Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson, and gave her a resounding approval. I am confident that they will not regret their decision, and that she will prove to be an outstanding Minister who will discharge her duties with integrity and concern for the public welfare.”

Mrs Kumi-Richardson’s approval came on the night of Friday, 12 April 2019 after the nominee won a secret vote by a majority decision.

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

One vote was rejected.

The Minority refused to approve the appointment of Mrs 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 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.