Agbana expresses confidence in ministerial nominees, exposes some road infrastructure flaws

By Elsie Appiah-Osei

Accra, Jan 22, GNA – Mr Eric Edem Agbana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ketu North, has expressed confidence in the ministerial nominees of President John Dramani Mahama, lauding their performance at the vetting.

The nominees include Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minister-designate for Roads and Highways; Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister-designate for Education, and Mr Eric Opoku, Food and Agriculture Minister-designate.

Commenting on the Floor of Parliament ahead of the approval of the nominees on Tuesday, Mr Agbana said: “… Mr Speaker, Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza discharged himself excellently and displayed mastery over the sector… I am confident that given the opportunity as minister responsible for roads and highways, Ghana’s roads infrastructure will see massive improvement.”

He exposed the previous government’s claims on road infrastructure, saying the vetting revealed that less than 700 km of roads were constructed.

“It is important for us to place these matters on record,” he said.

Mr Agbana described Mr Haruna Iddrisu as a mentor and an excellent legislator, and that: “He will work for the education sector to see growth and improvement.”

He highlighted the challenges in the education sector, particularly the gap between rural and urban education.

“Mr Speaker, currently, the education sector is one of the most challenged in this country. As we speak today, one of the things that is of great concern to me as a young person and as the MP for a constituency that can be described as a rural consitituency is the fact that there is a huge gap between rural education and education in the urban centre.”

” Mr Speaker, I look forward to a day where children schooling in Gbegbekope Junior High School can make the same grade as children schooling in public school here in Accra. I look forward to the minister-designate leading the ministry to bridge that gap,” he said.

On Mr Eric Opoku, Mr Agbana, a former Deputy National Youth Organiser of the NDC, said the nominee was an institution on issues of Agriculture.

“I am hopeful that with him at the helm of affairs in the sector, some steady growth would be seen in his leadership.”

Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin however, expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of regional balance and the number of women in the appointment of ministerial nominees.

He said the number of women appointed was not enough in line with the passage of Affirmative Action Bill.

GNA