Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has threatened to vote against ministerial nominees if hand over notes are not made available.
According to him, his demand in pursuant to the Presidential Transition Act 2012 has not been met though two nominees are appearing before the vetting committee on Wednesday.
Mr Ayariga expressed his reservations in a statement which outlined deadlines.
“Unless I am given hard or electronic copies of the Handing Over Notes and their vetting is rescheduled to 48 hours after receipt of the Handing Over Note,” Mr Ayariga said.
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He added: “If this does not happen, I hereby inform the Chairman to record my votes on the nominees appearing before the Committee today as NO for both nominees.”
The Committee will give priority to the president’s nominee for Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu due to the situation with COVID-19 in the country.
The National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah is also expected to appear before the committee today.
President Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday, January 21, 2021, published a list of some 46 persons he has nominated to fill various ministerial portfolios including regional ministers.
The list contains some persons who served as ministers in his first term.
Read the full statement below:
NOTICE OF MY NO VOTE – MAHAMA AYARIGA
Good morning Chairman and Honourable Members of the Appointments Committee.
I hereby serve notice that my demand for Handing Over Notes pursuant to the Presidential Transition Act has not been met in relation to the two nominees appearing before the Committee today.
I have said publicly on several media in the last two weeks that I will only vet them if I have their Handing Over Notes which should be a comprehensive record of their work in the last four years.
Given that I have not received the Handing Over Notes, despite several efforts on my part, I hereby announce my decision to vote against the two nominees appearing before us today, unless I am given hard or electronic copies of the Handing Over Notes and their vetting is rescheduled to 48 hours after receipt of the Handing Over Notes.
It is high time we take our sacred constitutional duties seriously so that those who are appearing before us may consider us serious.
If this does not happen, I hereby inform the Chairman to record my votes on the nominees appearing before the Committee today as NO for both nominees.
Mahama Ayariga MP
Bawku Central