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Anane wins Parliament endorsement as
Transportation Minister
Accra, March 5, Ghanadot/GNA- Parliament on Wednesday
approved Dr Richard Winfred Anane, former Minister of
Transportation, to take back the position which he resigned
to contest allegations against him by a human rights
commission.
The Appointments Committee of the House, which had vetted
the Minister Designate earlier, recommended by consensus to
the House to approve President J. A Kufuor’s nominee for the
position.
“Having met the requirements of the law in full, the
Committee hereby recommends the nominee, by consensus to
this Honourable House for approval,” a report of Appointment
Committee of the House said.
President Kufuor again nominated in February this year Dr
Anane, Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, as Minister for
Transportation, who resigned from his position as Minister
of Transportation after the Commission on Human Rights and
Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) indicted him on various
offences in September
CHRAJ’s decision was based on investigations into
allegations of corruption, conflict of interest and abuse of
power against him that led to widespread calls for his
resignation to clear his name. Though Dr Anane was cleared
on the allegation of corruption, the Commission recommended
his removal from office.
It said this was because the findings of its investigations
showed that the Minister had given contradictory figures
concerning money sent to his mistress, Alexandria O’Brian,
under oath before the Commission and in a prior appearance
before a Parliamentary Select Committee during his vetting
as Minister.
Dr Anane subsequently resigned his post and contested the
matter at the High Court.
When he appeared before the Appointments Committee, the
Minister Designate, who requested that his private and
family life remained private, disclosed that he had to
streamline the process of remittances to his son, which he
had with the American mistress, in a family tribunal in the
US to avoid personal mediation which could lead to
disagreements in future.
Dr Anane told the Appointments Committee that the
allegations by CHRAJ were unfounded, and there was no need
to revisit the matter since the court had ruled on the
matter and ordered that the evidence was expunged from the
records.
The Nominee, who has also answered question on the road
networks and how his medical profession related to the
current portfolio, had told the Committee that his
instinctive nature always drove him to study at all times
and his profession as a surgeon had placed him in a better
position to appreciate diligence and be meticulous, which he
applied in all spheres of life.
Dr. Anane had observed that even though it was the
prerogative of the President to nominate him in ‘his heart
of hearts’ he was inspired his willingness to serve his
country and to conform to the rule of law on Ghana’s
democracy.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, in a contribution to the motion on the
adoption of the report, accepted Dr Anane’s return but said,
it indicated a lack of capable men in the ruling New
Patriotic Party, which contradicted the slogan; “We have the
men”.
GNA
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