Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, President J.E.A. Mills’ nominee for Foreign Affairs and regional Integration Minister survived an acrimonious debate and secret balloting to clinch the approval of parliament for the post.By a majority decision of 116 to 74, the house decided that President Mills can now swear his one-time presidential running mate into office as a minister.Total votes cast were 190, and Speaker Joyce Bamford Addo, who obviously had her toughest time since assuming her post, took the opportunity to congratulate Alhaji Mumuni.The house had sharply disagreed on his suitability for the post, and even though the Majority and Minority had claimed they had no doubts about his competence for the office, the minority poked a pending court case involving him as the reason to reject him.The Majority had supported him all along, and argued the basis for the court case – an audit report that made adverse conclusions against him – was not before the house. The same issue had cropped up before the Appointments Committee of Parliament during the committee’s vetting of Alhaji Mumuni and ended up with the boycotting of proceedings by the minority.The Vetting Committee on the nominee had recommended, by majority decision, for his approval, and this once again raised a bitter banter in the house that saw members resort to name calling at certain stages.The house also approved six others for ministerial positions; Mrs Zita Okaikoi for the Information Ministry; Ms Sherry Aryitey for Environment, Science and Technology; Dr. George Sipa Yankey for Health and Mr. Steven Amoanor Kwao for the Employment and Social Welfare ministry.The rest are Mr. Alex Asum-Ahensa for the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture; and Hadjiah Huliti Alhasan as a Minister at the PresidencyStory by Isaac Yeboah