The Speaker of Parliament, Mike Ocquaye has ordered a secret ballot to determine the fate of Bono Regional Minister-designate Evelyn Kumi Richardson.

The nominee who has been accused of perjury by the Minority when she appeared before Parliament’s Appointment Committee for vetting last month is the only minister-designate yet to be approved.

According to the Minority, the nominee defied a government directive for appointees not to travel out of the country without approval.

Richardson has been accused of spending $54,000 of state funds on a private trip to Canada while serving as Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Sunyani in 2017.

Doubts have also been cast on her doctorate degree qualification.

Minority members on the Appointment Committee claim she had bestowed on herself the academic title although she failed to provide proof of such on her curriculum vitae (CV).

Tamale South MP and Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu

Subsequently, she was ordered to furnish the Committee with the documents to proof this but that is yet to be provided. The Minority, on the basis of this, has refused to approve her nomination.

Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said they are not impressed with the nominee’s conduct.

“It is clear to the objective analyst that the trip to Canada was to attend a Rotary Club event and so she had to come up with all kinds of post facto rationalisation,” the North Tongu MP said.

But the Majority disagrees. Akuapim South MP O.B. Amoah said the nominee has done nothing wrong and should be approved when the House debated a report from the Appointment Committee on Thursday.

The back and forth will not end as the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu refused to compromise. He asked the Speaker to order a secret ballot on the nominee.

Prof Ocquaye agreed and asked for documents concerning the process to be prepared while the House conducted other businesses, reports Joy News’ Parliamentary correspondent, Joseph Opoku Gakpo.