President John Dramani Mahama has nominated Joseph Bukari Nikpe, Member of Parliament for Saboba, as Minister-Designate for Transport.
The announcement, part of the third batch of ministerial appointments submitted to Parliament, was detailed in a statement by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Acting Spokesperson to the President.
If confirmed, Nikpe will oversee a critical ministry pivotal to Ghana’s transport infrastructure and economic connectivity. Among his immediate tasks will be addressing rising operational cost concerns from the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), which is advocating for fare adjustments.
Other nominees in this batch include Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo for Labour, Jobs, and Employment; Samuel Nartey George for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations; and Adjei Kenneth Gilbert for Works, Housing, and Water Resources.
The Appointments Committee of Parliament is scheduled to begin vetting the nominees in the coming weeks.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) had said it was awaiting the nomination of a Minister-designate for Transport to proceed with talks on a possible fare adjustment.
GPRTU stated that the threshold to warrant a fare adjustment has been met following recent fuel price hikes for the second consecutive time in January.
The upward adjustments are attributed to rising crude oil prices on the global market and the depreciation of the cedi.
In an interview with Citi Business News, the Industrial Relations Officer for GPRTU, Abass Imoro, indicated that the union is awaiting a Transport Minister nominee before any talks over fare increases.
