Appointments Committee To Decide On Ayariga Today

The Appointments Committee is expected to meet today Thursday March 4, to decide whether or not to pass Hon. Mahama Ayariga for the position of Deputy Minister for Trade and Industries. If passed by the Doe Adzaho-led Committee, a report would be prepared and forwarded to Parliament for consideration and approval. Hon. Ayariga was vetted along side seven other Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial nominees some two weeks ago. All the seven other nominees who were vetted together with the former Presidential Spokesperson have been passed by the House. Hon Ayariga�s nomination was however suspended; following uncertainties over the authenticity of a Commission of Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ) report that cleared him of any wrong doing in his acquisition of five tractors from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture last year. The Progressive Nationalist Forum had dragged him to the Commission, alleging that the purchase of the tractors under the Agric Mechanization Center Scheme was improper and amounted to abuse of office. The Commission, upon request from the Appointment Committee, forwarded a certified true copy of its ruling on the allegations against the former Bawku MP. It is this document and some other issues that would dominate today�s meeting of the Appointment Committee, after which a decision would be taken as to whether or not Hon. Ayariga should be recommended to parliament for approval and subsequent appointment as Minister designate for Trade and Industry.