President Not In Breach Of Constitution- Speaker

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Created on Wednesday, 11 February 2015 00:00

President Not In Breach Of Constitution- Speaker

11 February 2015

The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, on Tuesday said President John Dramani Mahama had not breached the Constitution as he had not appointed more than the constitutionally mandated 19 ministers to his Cabinet.

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Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP for Efutu, last Friday alerted the Speaker on a possible infringement of the Constitution when the Hansard of February 3, 2015, published a list of 20 Cabinet ministers after the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum was split into the Ministries of Petroleum and Power.

Speaker Adjaho said the publication was a mistake made by the Editor of Debates of Parliament and further clarification on the matter indicated that there were 18 ministers currently in Cabinet.

He said the President would, by the end of the week, decide whether Petroleum Minister, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah or Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor, joined Cabinet.

Article 76 (1) states that: “There shall be a cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice President and not less than ten and not more than nineteen Ministers of State”.

Speaker Adjaho said he would inform the House when the President took a decision on the matter.

The Cabinet ministers, as published in the Hansard of February 3, 2015, include Seth Terkper - Finance, Hannah Tetteh - Foreign Affairs, Benjamin Kunbuor -Defence, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah - Trade and Industry, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang - Education, Inusah Fuseini - Roads and Highways, Fifi Kwetey - Food and Agriculture, Dzifa Attivor -Transport and Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah - Health.

The others are Emmanuel Armah Buah - Petroleum and Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong - Attorney-General and Justice, Julius Debrah - Local Government and Rural Development, Collins Dauda - Water Resources, Works and Housing, Nii Osah Mills - Lands and Natural Resources and Mark Woyongo - Interior.

The rest are Akwasi Oppong-Fosu - Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Nana Oye Lithur - Gender, Children and Social Protection, Haruna Iddrisu - Employment and Labour Relations, Dr Edward Omane-Boamah -Communications and Dr Kwabena Donkor - Power.

Non-cabinet ministers are Mrs Ofosu-Agyare -Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mahama Ayariga - Youth and Sports, Sherry Ayittey - Fisheries and Acquaculture Development and Dr Seidu Daannaa - Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs.

Source: GNA