Reliable sources have told Whatsup News that President Akufo Addo may be planning to appoint only 75 ministers and their deputies for his second term.
According to the information, President Akufo Addo today, January 14, 2021, met with Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at an unknown location and informed them about his intention to cut down his much-criticized mammoth government of over 110 ministers by almost 40%.
Some Ministries will reportedly be merged, for instance, the Ministry of Information would be merged with the Ministry of Communication and it would be headed by the former Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
Other Ministries would reportedly be scrapped completely.
Already, some 10 prominent ministers have been penned down for elimination for the Akufo Addo administration.
They include Hajia Alima Maham, the Minister of Local Government Anthony Karbo, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways Bernard Okoe-Boye, the former Deputy Minister of Health.
Others are George Andah, the Deputy Minister of Communications, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, the Minister of Tourism; Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, the Minister of Fisheries and Barbara Ayisi, the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing.
The above-named ministers are basically being ousted for woefully failing to retain their parliamentary seats.
Already, snippets of new ministerial appointments have leaked with some fresh faces being named for various ministerial roles, while some of the old ministers are being shuffled to take up new responsibilities.
For instance, the immediate past education minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh will take over from Peter Amewu as the new Energy Minister, while Amewu will be moved to the Railways Ministry.
Opoku Prempeh’s then-deputy, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has reportedly been penned down as the substantive Minister of Education.
The MP for Okere (Eastern Region), Dan Botwe, is being moved from the Ministry of Regional Reorganisation and Development to take over the position of Hajia Alima Mahama as the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.
The fresh faces reportedly hinted to take up ministerial positions include the former Deputy Chiefs of Staff Samuel Abu Jinapor for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources while his colleague at the Deputy Chief of Staff office, Francis Asenso-Boakye has been tipped for the Ministry of Works and Housing portfolios.
On the other hand, some old hands such as the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, the Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul, and the Interior Minister Ambrose Dery will reportedly retain their positions.
Meanwhile, the Akufo Addo administration is faced with a serious predicament as it ties on parliamentary seats with the biggest opposition party, the NDC, at 137 seats each in the Ghanaians Parliament. If the President decided on 75 ministers, at least 37 must come from Parliament. This means the NPP will cede critical advantage to its main political rivals in the august House, since most of these ministers chosen from Parliament would not be around most of the time during the business of the House.