COVID-19: Parliament resumes today after three-week suspension

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Parliament is billed to resume sittings effective today, Tuesday, March 2, 2021.

It follows a three-week shutdown as Covid-19 cases soared among members of parliament and staff of the House.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin suspended activities of the House as 17 MPs and 151 staff tested positive for the disease.

Reports say members and staff have been made to undergo testing again ahead of the resumption of activities in the House.

Meanwhile, the Appointments Committee will later today continue vetting of nominees of the President for various ministerial roles.

The Committee has refused to approve the appointment of ministers-designate for Information, Food and Agriculture, and Fisheries – Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Hawa Koomson respectively.

According to EIB Network’s Parliamentary Correspondent, Ibrahim Alhassan the Committee failed to reach a unanimous decision for the three which will require that their approval is subject to a vote at the plenary.

The report of the 26-member committee stated that the minority side of the committee was unhappy with Oppong Nkrumah, as they accused him of instigating the Supreme Court judges to cite Dr Dominic Ayine for contempt in the ongoing Election 2020 petition hearing.

“In the case of the Minister for Food and Agriculture-designate, Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto, members of the Minority side of the Appointments Committee accused him of being arrogant when he appeared before the committee and on that basis, they will not approve of his nomination.

“On Koomson, the Minority side of the Appointments Committee, are of the opinion that she is not fit for the job.”

But, the Committee is seeking clarification on five others. They are: Roads and Highways portfolio Kwesi Amoako-Atta, Minister-designate for Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Attorney General-designate, Godfred Yeboah Dame and John Peter Amewu, Minister-designate for Railways Development.

Meanwhile, 22 other ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have been unanimously approved by the Appointments Committee of Parliament.