President John Evans Atta Mills is expected to swear into office his former spokesperson, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, as deputy Trade Minister later today, March 15.
Parliament passed the former Bawku MP for the Deputy Ministerial position on Friday March 12. Citi news gathers that the president had originally planned to swear the nominee into office hours after his nomination was approved by the house. Hon. Ayariga was vetted alongside seven other nominees in February this year in the President�s first reshuffle.
The appointments committee however suspended his approval for close to a month to allow the committee clear doubts it had about a CHRAJ ruling that cleared the former presidential spokesperson of any wrong doing in purchase of the five tractors from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture under the AMSEC program.
In its report last week, the Appointment Committee said Hon Ayarigah was not candid and forthright in answering questions put to him during is vetting.
The Committee said the nominee should endeavor to be more candid and forthright in his future dealings, especially as he was going to occupy a sensitive position in government.
Speaking to Citi News, Hon. Ayariga declined to respond to the committee�s conclusions, insisting it was up to Ghanaians to draw their own conclusions on the committee�s work. �It is for every single Ghanaian who listened to make up his mind whether or not I was candid or forthright with my responses at the committee hearing�because it was not an in camera hearing.
Ghanaians have the opportunity to decide if the committee is being fair in their conclusions�.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Nationalist Forum has congratulated Hon. Ayariga on the approval of his nomination by Parliament but has served notice that it would Challenge the CHRAJ report that cleared him over the tractor saga. �If we are going to take up the issue further it is not going to be Mahama Ayariga its going to be CHRAJ, we do not have any problem with him from now on and that is why we waited for the Parliament committee to finish its process then we take it from there�
Mr. Richard Nyamah who speaks for the pressure group told Citi News that their lawyers are examining the evidence that they have acquired from parliament and they would act upon the advice given them by their lawyers. �As we speak, our lawyers are examining the evidence that we just had from parliament and the report from CHRAJ and when all those things are exhausted they will advice us on the way forward�but it is going to be on the decision of CHRAJ and how it went about taking that decision�
<<Print>>