Oquaye For Speaker, Nitiwul For Defence, Ofori-Atta, Finance

Citi News can confirm that Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye, a former Member of Parliament for the Dome-Kwabenya constituency, will be the next Speaker of Parliament.

Multiple sources within the New Patriotic Party have disclosed to Citi News that co-founder of Databank, Ken Ofori-Attah, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul and former deputy Attorney General, Ambrose Dery have all made it into Akufo-Addo’s ministerial list.

Whereas Ofori-Attah will be the Finance Minister, Dominic Nitiwul and Ambrose Dery will also head the Defense and Interior ministries respectively.

Akufo-Addo who was elected the President of Ghana on December 7, 2016 earlier this week asked for more time from the NPP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in order not to rush in announcing his proposed ministers.

He is expected to officially take over the administration of the country on January 7, 2017.

Citi News earlier reported that there was massive consensus around Prof. Oquaye for the Speaker position.

Under Ghana’s Constitution and the rules of Parliament, for a candidate to emerge as Speaker, he or she must have been elected by members of the House or persons who are qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament.

Ghana’s amended presidential transition act also requires that the new speaker should be elected 24 hours before the inauguration of a new president after national elections.

NPP insiders, both in Parliament and the party, say there is a firm degree of certainty that has been established around the idea of Prof. Oquaye as the country’s next Speaker and that he is upbeat about accepting the role.

By: citifmonline.com