Parliament’s Appointment Committee has deferred the approval of three deputy minister nominees and approved 12, nominated by the President, Akufo Addo.

The deferred nominees are: Ms Diana Asonaba Dapaah – Deputy Minister for Attorney-General, Mrs Gifty Twum-Ampofo, Education and  Amidu Issahaku Chinnia – Food and Agriculture.

According to reports, the three Deputy Ministers-Designate were deferred over some concerns raised by the Minority Caucus.

However, the twelve given the greenlight to serve in their appointed capacities after the fifth report of the Appointments Committee was tabled and endorsed by Parliament are Andrew Kofi Agyapa Mercer – Energy; John Ntim Fordjour – Education; Mr George Mireku Duker – Lands and Natural Resources; and Mr Kofi Amankwah-Manu – Defence.

Others are: Nana Eyiah Quansah – The Interior; Mr Hassan Sulemana Tampuli – Transport; Mr John Ampontua Kumah – Finance; and Mr Frederick Obeng Adom – Transport.

The rest includes: Mavis Nkansah-Boadu –Roads and Highways; Mr Evans Opoku Bobie –Youth and Sports; Mr Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru –Sanitation and Water Resources; and Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah – Health.

Mr Joseph Osei Owusu, Chairman of the Appointments Committee, moved the motion for the House to consider the report of the Committee on the President’s deputy ministerial nominees.

The Committee said it struck out the name of Mrs Twum-Ampofo from its report due to unresolved issues over her approval.

The Committee members were, on Thursday, divided on the approval of Mrs Twum-Ampofo, at the consideration of its report to the plenary.

The stand-off occasioned the postponement of the approval processes for the second batch of nominees on Thursday, June 17, 2021.