Politics of Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Source: citifmonline.com
Former Chief of Staff in the Kufour administration, Kwadwo Mpiani has indicated that the removal of the Water Resource Works and Housing Minister, Alhaji Collins Dauda from cabinet will have no negative impact on the ministry’s performance.
“I don’t think it will really affect the work of the minister or the ministry,” he added.
President John Dramani Mahama removed the Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing from the list of his cabinet on Tuesday.
The Ministry was replaced with the Ministry of Power.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr Mpiani said cabinet ministers are those that attend cabinet meetings and make decisions with the president.
“Cabinet ministers are supposed to be senior ministers, they hold positions to important ministries and they attend cabinet meetings,” he added.
The former Chief of Staff adds that this whole idea of cabinet ministers and non-cabinet ministers, “I think is a product of Parliamentary democracy where the Prime Minister determines which of his ministries are important to be regarded as cabinet ministries.”
“If you take the US system, all secretaries are all members of cabinet; they don’t have this system where some are regarded as cabinet ministers or not. Cabinet ministers are supposed to be senior ministers, they hold positions to important ministries and they attend cabinet meetings.”
He added that in Ghana, “we have a blend of both the Parliamentary and the Executive President system. What we do here, all ministers attend meetings despite the law restraining it. They all take part in cabinet deliberations.”
Below is the new Cabinet list submitted to Parliament
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Petroleum
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General Department
Ministry of Roads and Highways
Ministry of Food and Agriculture
Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations
Ministry of Transport
Ministry of Power
Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
Ministry of Communications