General News of Thursday, 16 March 2017
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2017-03-16
Professor Stephen Adei
Ghanaian Governance guru Professor Stephen Adei wants the government to provide a stronger justification for requiring 110 ministers, the highest-ever by any administration.
He suggested the Information minister Mustapha Hamid’s explanation that government needs more ministers to implement an ambitious development agenda and tackle an economy in shambles is tenuous.
The minister has stressed the NPP never promised a lean government during the campaign. He has urged Ghanaians to judge the government by results and not the size of the executive.
In President Nana Akufo-Addo’s 4th ministerial list, the 67-days old government plans to add 54 more ministers of state and deputies to 56 others it nominated in previous three batches.
Critics say the government appears to be simply doling out jobs to loyalists when it should be protecting the public purse as it promised in the 2016 campaign.
There will be Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture and a Minister of Agriculture with three deputies. It does not end there as there is also a Minister of Fisheries And Aquaculture with a deputy.
Government has nominated a Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education along with a Minister of Education who will also have two deputies.
The President has already created six new ministerial portfolios – Monitoring And Evaluation, Special Development Initiatives, Business Development, Zongo and Inner City Development, Regional re-organisation, and Planning ministers.
‘Everybody is surprised,’ the former GIMPA Rector weighed in on the backlash on social media following the announcement. He said he would have preferred to see more technical appointees in government institutions and less politicians.
Prof. Stephen Adei said the numbers represent ‘extra expenses which can make a huge difference’ on the public purse.
He preferred to give the president the benefit of the doubt, maintaining he is ‘a really thoughtful guy’ and said ‘time will tell’ if 110 appointees will produce results.
