Parliament Wednesday unanimously approved President John Atta Mills’ nominees, Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor and Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo as Minister for Health and Minister of State at the Presidency respectively. Making contributions before the approval of the Ministers of State, a number of Members of Parliament (MPs) described the two nominees as affable and hardworking people who have fully met the requirements of the constitution to be so nominated, adding that they would bring their experiences to bear on their portfolios to move the country forward. Dr. Kunbuor, a former law lecturer and legislator, has been particularly praised by some of his former colleagues and peers as a hardworking and brilliant personality who will do well to improve the Health sector. Afotey-Agbo, also affectionately called ‘Lion’, has been eulogized by Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, MP New Juaben North, for standing by an earlier comment the Minister of State nominee had made, calling for the removal from office of Zita Okaikoi, Minister of Information, for poor performance. “It is most unusual for people to stick to their position of calling for the removal of a minister when they themselves are seeking to be ministers”, Hon. Owusu-Agyeman, a former Minister of State, noted. During his vetting at the Appointments Committee of Parliament recently, Afotey-Agbo, who is also the MP for Kpone-Katamanso, reiterated an earlier call for the dismissal of the Information Minister, stressing, “I have not changed my mind on Zita. It is a principled position I have taken, and being a man of myself, I have no intention of changing it”. Afotey-Agbo, an ardent cadre and a disciple of ex-President Jerry John Rawlings recently asked President John Atta Mills to fire the Information Minister for poor performance. He was however immediately nominated by President Mills as the Minister of State at the Presidency after making the call, an occurrence which many political pundits saw as a smart move to tame the vociferous Lion. Appearing before the Appointments Committee for vetting, the well-built and handsome looking Afotey-Agbo reiterated that he called for the dismissal of Mrs. Okaikoi based on complaints from the people about her performance, stressing, “It was not personal, and indeed she is a good friend”. Source: Daily Guide