A former Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, Hackman Owusu Agyeman, has asked members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to desist from putting undue pressure on President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo, ahead of his ministerial appointments.
Mr. Owusu Agyeman said Akufo Addo should be allowed to name his own ministers at his own time ahead of his inauguration on January 7, 2017.
His comment follows an appeal Akufo-Addo made to the National Executive Committee of the NPP to give him more time to announce his proposed ministers.
“It doesn’t work that way. It is a prerogative of the president-elect. The constitution is absolutely clear; it is in the bosom of the president-elect. It’s always been like that,” Owusu Agyeman noted in an interview.
Give me more time to select ministers
Akufo-Addo on Thursday asked for more time to enable him name ministers ahead of his official swearing-in.
The president-elect is expected to present the list of his proposed ministers to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NPP for review.
A meeting between him and NEC on Thursday to deliberate on the matter, ended without a decision being taken on which personalities will serve as ministers in the incoming government.
Meanwhile, another meeting has been scheduled between the President-elect and the NEC to bring closure on the matter.
There have been reports of lobbying for various positions in Akufo-Addo’s incoming government.
We won’t reject appointments from Nana Addo – Smaller parties
Some smaller opposition parties have also stated that they will accept positions in Akufo-Addo’s government if they are called upon to serve.
Speaking to Citi News, the National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, said an appointment from the Nana Addo led administration to any member of the PNC will not be out of place.
“The PNC in the past has had some members of the party serve under Kufuor’s government and even under the late Atta Mills – John Mahama administration; and so it is not new that you will have PNC members serve in governments that are not of the PNC. So the PNC cannot restrict Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP from making appointment of people they believe will be able to serve the nation.”
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