A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team, Wonder Madilo, has explained that the delay in appointing a substantive Minister for Defence is due to Parliament being on recess at the time President John Dramani Mahama was ready to make the nomination.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, 4th February, Mr Madilo said the President had indicated in December his intention to appoint a new Defence Minister in the new year but was constrained by the constitutional requirement for parliamentary approval.

Parliament has been on recess from 5 December through to February. According to him, the break made it impossible for the president to submit a nominee for vetting and approval.

“The President, of his own volition and without any pressure, indicated in December that he would appoint a new Defence Minister in the new year. What has delayed that process is the fact that Parliament has been on recess,” Mr Madilo said.

He stressed that the vetting and approval of ministers is the exclusive responsibility of Parliament and cannot be bypassed, adding that the president is therefore under no pressure to rush the appointment.

“So the president is not under any pressure at this point to be pushed as the way the NPP thinks or feels.”

On Tuesday, February 3, when parliament resumed sittings for the ninth session, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin called on the president to appoint substantive ministers to the Ministries of Defence and Environment following the death of the two former sector ministers in a helicopter crash last year.

"Outside this chamber, the situation is harsher, a nation without two important ministers. It has been months since the tragic helicopter crash took our ministers for defence and environment. Those vital ministries remain without substantive leadership."

"We demand that Mr President nominate these ministers to mount these ministries," Mr Afenyo-Markin said.