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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.”