Minister of Information, Mustapha Hamid, has justified President Nana Addo’s decision to appoint some 110 Ministers including deputies to serve in his government, explaining that the “weak nature of the economy, requires a competent army” of people to restore it and achieve the needed transformation.
The President named 50 deputies and 4 others to serve as Ministers of State at the presidency/ministries on Wednesday, bringing his total number of ministers to 110, the highest since the 4th Republic.
Many have since criticised the President for the decision, arguing that this will only burden the public purse considering that, aside the salaries and benefits, all these officials will retire with huge amounts as ex-gratia.
But the Information Minister at a press conference held at the Information Ministry, defended the President’s decision, saying “in putting together this government, he [President] has been guided by the competencies and experiences of the people and the legal requirements for making such appointments.”
He said the “Akufo Addo government has inherited a country whose economy is if you want at its weakest …requires a strong army that will resolve, confront these challenges and resolve them in a rapid manner that we[Ghanaians] require in order to put our country back on the path of progress and development”
“If we keep doing business as usual, we cannot transform the country in the manner that we envisage. This number of Ministers that the President has presented to Parliament brings his entire government to 110 Ministers of State and deputies who would assist him deliver on the ambitious programme of national transformation and development which the people of Ghana have charged him to implement,” he added.
He further clarified that the President was guided by Article 78 (2) of the constitution in making his appointments.
“He was minded by this provision and the ambitious nature of his transformational agenda to put together a government that answers both to this constitutional provision and the need for the rapid transformation of our country,” he added.
Offering explanations for the President’s decision to appoint a Minister who will specifically be in charge of Public Procurement, Mustapha Hamid said the President resorted to such a move as a means of tackling wastage through public procurement.
“Part of the President’s determination to get a hold on national expenditure is the reason why he has appointed a Minister of State in his office responsible for procurement whose responsibility will be to ensure proper value for money procurement. It is generally agreed that the biggest source of wastage is through public procurement. An expert in procurement law has therefore been nominated to take care of the business of fleecing the state through public procurement.”
Adwoa Sarfo named minister of state in charge of public procurement
Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, and Deputy Majority Leader, Adwoa Sarfo, was today [Wednesday] appointed a Minister of State at the presidency in charge of Public Procurement.
Her name was among a list of four new ministers of state at the presidency/ministry that was presented to Parliament for vetting and approval. The other three ministers of state appointed include, Minister of State at the Office of the President, Brian Acheampong, Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nurah Gyeile and Minister of State at the Ministry of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Kwesi Yankah.
Akufo-Addo engaged in ‘chaskele’ appointments – Muntaka
Meanwhile, the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, has likened President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominations to the game of ‘chaskele’ saying it appears the portfolios were just being passed on to “everyone.”
Source: citifmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
it is only this northern albino that can defend the lazy and incompetent akufo addo and his people.as for these northerners,i pity them,they are so ***barred word*** and backward.ghanaians will pay badly for voting thess people into power especially akufo addo and osafo marfo.they have nothing better to offer ghana,just go to kyebi and akyem oda and see the state of their township after having been mp and ministers for over 20 years.
1. It will difficult maintaining discipline with 110 ministers. 2: It is just a burden on the public purse. 3: How can you control corruption, when "you" accused NDC of corruption. NPP has just created 110 POSSIBLE conduits to corruption. 4: If NPP claims they have the men, why do they need 110 "men" to run a small country like Ghana? 5. Going by the argument that the country's problems are enormous, what will 110 ministers do to ameliorate our problems? After all we know SOME of them lack the competencies to the ministries they have been posted to? what becomes of the technical people at the ministries? I'm highly disappointed in Akuffo Addo, HE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER!
Then your ministers of education is simple a joke. Playing chess!
This is the most ridiculous so called information minister in the history of Ghana. This guy thinks he is still running for SRC position in Cape Vars. Running a country takes competent, exposed, tested men of caliber. He got this position by virtue of his closeness to Sheikh Akufo Addo. Parliament is equally weak who just approve these incompetent folks to the detriment of Ghana. These guys criticized the NDC for a large government. In hindsight we all know that large government is a drain on the public purse. So why are they repeating the same mistakes of past government? The answer is not far fetched. Ghanaian politicians behave like monkeys when they get into power. They only recover their senses when they are booted out of power. These so called ministers are set up to steal , loot and share. They don't have the nation at heart. How can Azumah Nelson be compelled to run all over the place at independence square? Poor old man. With all his previously acquired wealth look at what has happened to him. Money flies folks. Let the NPP government spare Ghanaians the rod.Enough of the chop, chop and ***barred word***.
Look at him and his alterances. What army? Then certainly not you frustrated NPP chop chop people. I know you at UCC when you were SRC President. You chopped and did you account for it? ***barred word***
Incompetent = 86 Competent = 110 which is or will be a burden on the public purse? Masa, I see trouble ahead oooo...... You reduce your revenue sources left and right, increase your ministers who will not work for free. with the hope that, the tax reduction will encourage more people to pay! Have you ever seen people willingly paying for something that is a cost or brings no direct benefit to them? What is the guarantee that these will pay? Public sector wages, NHIA funding,1 million dollars per district.......... I hope and pray fervently that the president knows exactly what he is doing.......we hope we wouldn't have to retrogress in the gains made as a nation so far!!! Though I am a strong NDC man.....if the nations well or not, we all dey inside..... so we hope for the best.
From opposition, this party now in power created parallel units all over to compete with the lawful and approved units. They have now followed it up into government. Lesson to Civil Servants, particularly those who leaked important documents to them. They are saying you're not loyal and competent enough to run the ministries. If they have their way, they would have sacked ALL civil servants and replaced them with their own people. That is what we are seeing. I would not be surprised to see members of the invincible forces being drafted into the Police and other security services.
They guy thinks we voted for nana Addo to come and create an army which doesn't go to war but receive pay every month. What army do you need to improve the economy when you have competent Barwumia as your best economist in the world.
Let say each minister and his deputy all take the same pay. Let give each just 1000GHANA. Multiply 110 by 1000Ghana for every month, that is 110000GHANA. Reduce his 4 years term to 3years which is 36 months for sake of this analysis and multiply 110000 by 36 months. That is 3960000GHANA. The actual pay per minister is over 10000GHANA, which means after four years these 110 ministers alone will cost the country huge sums of money. Remember we have not considered their housing and transportation cost. Ghana beyer derdeeedew. This is what happen when you vote for an oldman who is suffering pains all over the body.
ofridjatoo talk