Ghanaian journalist Godfred Akoto Boafo has criticized the Appointments Committee for not attaching a high level of seriousness to the ongoing ministerial vetting.
According to him, the Appointments Committee has allowed personnel relationships to affect how rigorously they are supposedly to grill appointees and seek out their proposed solutions to pressing issues affecting the various sectors.
He indicated that the state of the nation at the moment does not allow for such weak vetting, charging the committee to be on their toes and do their job diligently.
“I covered the vetting of 2017 thoroughly and 2021 as well, and I feel we need to really raise the bar on this (vetting). I think we are letting the personal relationships interfere with the public rigor that is required, and my reason for this is that the state of our country at the moment does not allow us to be friendly and casual with some of these matters, particularly because most of the sectors in this country are in danger,” he lamented.
Godfred was quick to point out that currently, Ghana is the 2nd largest producer of Cocoa globally with Ecuador chasing “our tail. So, what does that mean for us as a nation, and what can be done? Eric Opoku (Minister-designate for Agriculture) had the capacity to respond to all these and could have done something about it. This will let the cocoa farmers know what the plans of the government are for us as a people.”
He added that in the last eight (8) years, perhaps outside of the Finance Ministry, the Education Ministry is the most consequential ministry, but Minister-designate for Education, Haruna Iddrisu just like Eric Opoku was not made to address the immense struggles the sector face and outline proactive measures to prevent them.
Ministers appointed by President John Dramani Mahama to serve in his administration in the next four (4) years are currently undergoing vetting.
Out of the 42 appointments made so far, only three Ministers-designate; Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (Minister for Finance), Dr. Dominic Ayine (Minister for Justice and Attorney General) and John Abdulai Jinapor (Minister for Energy) have been approved by parliament to assume their roles as ministers.
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“The state of our country at the moment does not allow us to be friendly and casual…”@eastsportsman has not been impressed with the vetting of the Ministers-designate so far.#CitiCBS pic.twitter.com/5lho1t71rl
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) January 21, 2025
