Council of State presents report to President

The Seventh Council of
State of the Fourth Republic on Wednesday presented its first ever annual
report to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra.

The report which covers the Council’s first
year of the office from February 2017 to February 2018, highlights its work,
particularly the records of intensive briefings, meetings, interactions,
approval of appointments and consultation with the President, ministers and
heads of Public institutions.

Nana OtuoSiriboe, Chairman of the Council of
State who presented the report, gave a summary of the work of the body in the
last year, and said the Council found it gratifying that the President had
heeded to its advice and reservations in all matters referred to it, thus
negating the notion that the Council was a rubber stamp one.

He informed the President of the Council’s
intention to go on recess and resume work in October, 2018.

However, in order that government business
continued uninterrupted, Nana Otuo Sireboe notified the President during the
recess, the Council’s Appointments Committee and House Affairs Committee would
be available to consider the request for examination of appointments forwarded
to the Council by the Presidency.

President Akufo-Addo on his part commended the
Council for playing its role as a statutory advisor, and for the work they had
done, especially the expeditious way and thorough manner with which they dealt
with the appointments of his nominees.

He further praised the Council for the
comprehensive work they did about the nominees for the position of Chairman,
two deputies and a member for the Electoral Commission, expressing regret
though for the circumstances that brought about the change in the leadership of
the Commission.

The President who found the support of the
council valuable, noted the transparency with which the council had been
working, saying, the idea of committing themselves to production of annual
report was very comforting to the people of Ghana.

“This is indeed a body that has come to work
and not just to glory in its elevated status,” he said, noting that it was
refreshing the attitude with which they have been undertaking their
responsibilities.

The President pointed out the debate mooted by
a former Council Member about the transforming the Council into a second
chamber of the legislative process, saying, “I am a bit diagnostic on that
matter and I would rather let be a subject of public discussion rather than the
president trying influence the debate.”

“But when we see the output that we are
getting from this particular Council of State, it may be a way of stealing the
debate for the time being and allowing the institution which had gone on so far
to have even more legs for us to see what the future has to hold”.

GNA