President John Dramani Maham has hit the ground running by announcing his first set of ministerial appointments on his second day of work – with Dr Ato Cassiel Forson, John Jinapor and Dominic Ayini grabbing key positions.
A statement issued by the Presidency on January 9, said the President submitted ministerial nominations to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, in accordance with Article 78 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
The nominations are as follows: Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as Finance Minister-designate, with John Abdulai Jinapor and Dominic Akuritinga Ayine as Ministers-designate for Energy and Attorney General cum Minister of Justice respectively.
Consequently, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin referred the three ministerial nominees to the Appointments Committee for consideration and report.
Dr. Forson is an Oxford-trained tax professional with a Master of Science degree in Taxation from the University of Oxford, UK, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana. He obtained a Ph.D in Finance and a Master of Science degree in Economics from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana.
President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining only sixty ministers. The pledge was made during his campaign to become President and aimed at protecting the public purse.
Meanwhile, parliament has officially approved the composition of its Appointments Committee, a crucial body tasked with vetting and recommending nominees for ministerial and other top government positions.
The Committee will be chaired by First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, with Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah serving as Vice Chairperson. Notable appointments include Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader, as the Ranking Member, and Patricia Appiagyei as Deputy Ranking Member.
The Committee’s work will be instrumental in shaping the leadership team to execute President Mahama’s vision in his new term.
The Appointments Committee’s primary responsibility is to scrutinise individuals nominated by the President for crucial positions, including Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers and other roles outlined in the Constitution or relevant legislation.
