The deputy ministerial nomination of Gifty Twum Ampofo has been approved by parliament after the deputy education minister-designate met the minority caucus on Tuesday, 22 June 2021 in the company of some leaders of the majority caucus.

Other deputy minister nominees approved are Bright Wireko Brobbey- Employment Ministry, Michael Okyere Baafi – Trade and Industry Ministry, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam – Energy Ministry, Stephen Jaliyah – Roads and Highways Ministry, Thomas Mbomba – Foreign Affairs Ministry, Herbert Krapa – Trade and Industry Ministry, Fatimatu Abubakar – Information Ministry, Mark Okraku Mantey – Tourism and Creative Arts Ministry, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah – Attorney General and Justice Ministry, and Mahama Seini – Health Ministry.

Twum-Ampofo’s approval was frozen when the second approval list of the Appointments Committee of Parliament came out.

Those in her cohort – the second batch of vetted nominees – however, got approved.

They include Deputy Minister-designate of Energy Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Deputy Minister-designate of Education John Ntim Fordjour, Deputy Minister-designate of Lands and Natural Resources George Mireku Duker, Deputy Minister-designate of Defence Kofi Amankwaa-Manu.

The others include Deputy Minister-designate for the Interior Naana Eyiah Quansah, Deputy Minister-designate of Transport Hassan Tampuli, Deputy Minister-designate of Finance John Kumah and Deputy Minister-designate of Transport Frederick Obeng Adom.

The rest are Deputy Minister-designate of Roads and Highways Mavis Nkansah Boadu, Deputy Minister-designate of Youth and Sports Evans Opoku Bobbie and Deputy Minister-designate of Sanitation and Water Resources Issahaku Amidu Chinnia.

There was a stalemate among the members of the Appointments Committee over the Abuakwa North MP’s nomination after Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini publicly announced his decision to vote against her for, in his view, the female legislator’s unsatisfactory answers relating to bribery allegations levelled against her during the New Patriotic Party’s 2020 parliamentary primary.

Mr Suhuyini said he was “disappointed in the nominee’s lack of candour and what seems to be a conscience that is dead to the threat of bribery and corruption to our democracy”.