Prez. Mahama swears in Spio-Garbrah

• Posted on October 10, 2014October 10, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

President John Dramani Mahama has sworn in Ekwow Spio-Garbrah as the new Trade and Industry Minister.

This follows a parliamentary approval of Spio’s nomination on October 2,
2014 after the Appointments Committee of the House had given him the nod.

Dr. Spio-Garbrah has come under intense criticism from members of the
ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) over comments he made in an article written in 2006 describing the late President John Atta Mills’ ministers as ‘Team B.’ AFAG on Monday called on President Mahama not to swear in Dr. Spio-Garbrah, even though parliament had approved his appointment.

AFAG’s protest also follows accusations by the Minority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, that Spio-Garbrah lied to the Appointments Committee during his vetting.

But President Mahama went ahead on Thursday to swear him in at a short ceremony at the Flagstaff House.

The president charged Spio-Garbrah to coordinate Ghana’s efforts to transform the structure of the economy.

He said, “We are looking to add more value to our exports. We are looking to create more innovative means of generating revenue, putting up people to work, expanding industry and manufacturing. We’ve reached the stage where
economic relations in the world are changing….But I’m sure that you are acquainted with all these developments, already knowing the rich background and experience that you have in terms of the work that you have done in the past.”

Dr. Spio-Garbrah also assured the president that he would put up his optimum
best to ensure the realization of the nation’s goals.

“I can assure you that with the somewhat limited time that we have in this first term under your leadership, while awaiting the second term of your leadership,
Mr. President, we shall do what we can to advance fully the agenda that you’ve set so that people of Ghana will see that they are indeed living under a better Ghana agenda,” he said.