He said since the Council of State was constituted, it had met 73 times and thoroughly dealt with all issues, including reviewing appointments referred to it, and also moved around the country to examine issues of national importance.

He said the council had also decided to provide a yearly report, instead of the one report per term of a government.

President Akufo-Addo gave the commendation yesterday when he addressed members of the seventh Council of State at the Jubilee House after receiving its annual report.

Led by its Chairman, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, the council presented its first yearly report to the President.

The 40-page report covers all the activities the council undertook over the one-year period.

Transparency

President Akufo-Addo said the transparency with which the council had been working and the idea of members committing themselves to the production of an annual report were 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, especially when most of them are retirees,” he said in reference to the 73 times the council had met.

He commended the members of the council, especially for the expeditious way in which they dealt with appointments and never sacrificed the thoroughness required in examining in detail nominees, some of whom they advised against.

Regions

The President said the Executive and the council entered an uncharted territory, especially when it came to invoking Article Five of the Constitution which had never been done before for the creation of new regions.

He said the Justice Brobbey Commission had submitted its report, which had been forwarded to the Electoral Commission (EC) for the rest of the work to be done.

He commended the council for the comprehensive work it did on the nominees for the position of Chairman, two deputies and member of the EC, adding that the circumstances that brought about changes in the leadership of the EC were unfortunate.

Council Chairman

Nana Otuo Siriboe, who is also the Omanhene of Asante Juaben, said during the period under review, the council was compelled by the exigencies of the work to meet 73 times in plenary, committee and emergency sessions to discharge its responsibilities.

He said that might be contrasted with provisions under Article 92 of the Constitution which required that the Council meet at least four times in a year.

He said the members visited galamsey sites, considered and were unanimous in their opinion that the demand for the creation of new regions in the country was substantial and, therefore, advised the President to appoint a commission of enquiry to work on that.

The chairman said the council examined and approved the appointment of 128 boards of state institutions, universities and the Judiciary which were done in compliance with the law and gender requirements and also looked through the curriculum vitae of over 1,000 nominees.

He disclosed that the President accepted the reservations the council had about some of the nominees and said that had negated the notion that the council was a rubber stamp.

Nana Otuo Siriboe announced that although the council was taking a short break and would resume in October, it had put on stand-by an Appointments and House Affairs Committee which would be available to consider requests of appointments from the Presidency during the break.