Voting Ends, All Six Ministerial Nominees Approved – Check Out How The MPs voted

Parliament after hours of voting has approved the nomination of the new ministers appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The approval implies that Member of parliament for  Adansi Asokwa, K.T Hammond is now the Minister of Trade and Industry with the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, Dr. Stephen Amoah serving as his deputy.

The Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Bryan Acheampong is also the substantive Minister for Food and Agriculture while Stephen Asamoah Boateng is the Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.

Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, MP for Akuapem South, who was a Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, is now a Minister of State at the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.

Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, the MP for Karaga, and the immediate-past Deputy Minister of Energy is now a Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance.

The Appointments Committee could not recommend the approval of the nominees on consensus compelling the House to vote to decide the fate of the ministers.

The Appointments Committee’s report on the nominees was debated in Parliament on Thursday while the voting was done on Friday, March 24, 2023.

Efforts by the Majority to have the voting postponed were vehemently rejected by the Minority.

The Minority caucus in Parliament earlier insisted on having the voting on President Nana Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees done today after the exercise was suspended.

There was chaos in Parliament after the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, suspended sitting due to the failure of both sides to agree on how to vote for the approval of two Supreme Court Justices and Ministers and deputy ministers nominated by President Akufo-Addo.

The Majority demanded that voting for the Supreme Court Justices and the Ministers be done concurrently, but the Minority insisted that voting and counting be done separately.

The Majority also demanded that MPs from their side openly display their vote, but that was immediately shot down by the Minority who demanded that voting be done in secret.

Speaking after the sitting was suspended, the Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson insisted that they will not have the voting any other day than today.

“We want the voting today, Friday, March 24, 2023, and not any other day. We urge those on the Majority side to return to Parliament immediately, so we vote.”

“We are ready with all our MPs and want the voting right away.”

 

How the MPs voted

After the end of the voting, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin announced that 272 took part in the exercise while three MPs were absent.

KT Hammond – 154 YES votes, 116 NO votes and 1 rejected ballot

Bryan Acheampong – 167 YES votes; 98 NO votes, 4 rejected ballots and 3 abstentions

Asamoah Boateng – 147 YES votes, 122 NO votes and 3 abstentions

Mohammed Amin Adam – 152 YES votes, 117 NO votes, 1 rejected ballot and 2 abstentions

OB Amoah – 149 YES votes, 120 NO votes and 3 abstentions

Stephan Amoah – 146 YES votes, 123 No votes and 3 abstentions