Henry Quartey and Bryan Acheampong
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday made two changes in the security setup of the country.
This was when he caused his Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin, to put out a statement announcing Bryan Acheampong as a Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior.
Until then, he was the Minister of State at the Ministry of Security.
He swaps places with Henry Quartey, who until the announcement was the Deputy Minister of the Interior.
Mr. Quartey now becomes the Deputy Minister for the Ministry of National Security which until then did not have a Deputy Minister.
What is not clear is what informed the President’s decision to effect these changes.
The 1992 Constitution, however, allows the President the leverage to make ministerial appointments or changes without assigning reasons.
Three years into his first term, the President who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces also made changes in some aspects of the military setup on Wednesday.
The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen William Ayamdo, has given way to Maj. Gen Thomas Oppong-Peprah as the President has ordered based upon the advice of the Armed Forces Council and the now Rear Admiral Issah Adams Yakubu assuming the new role of Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, Burma Camp, while Brig. Gen. C.K. Awity now flying the red and white flag of Commandant, Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS). The President has performed one of his many functions as bestowed upon him by the Constitution.
President Akufo-Addo for now remains somewhat unrivalled in making appointment changes.
There is nothing unusual about such changes as the President’s predecessors from post-independence period have done same sometimes rather incessantly.
With the subtle announcement by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to adopt a rather chaotic approach to the electioneering campaign, the need for dedicated security architecture is indisputable.
A fruitful coordination of the internal security machinery by the National Security Ministry inures to the successful maintenance of law and order.
President Akufo-Addo having told the international community that his government would ensure a peaceful election would not fold his arms as miscreants hide behind democracy to breach the laws of the country.
Henry Quartey who has over the years garnered experience at his former Interior Ministry post taking up the 2i/c position at the National Security Ministry, there is no doubt that he would bring on board an appreciable level of freshness.
Bryant Acheampong has seen field action on the political terrain and would be handy for the interior ministry with its various security agencies coming under its ambit.
For both persons – Henry and Bryan – who double as Members of Parliament for both Ayawaso Central in Accra and Abefiti in the Eastern Region respectively, the whiff of freshness which comes with such changes should give them the necessary vim to manage an election year’s peculiar security arrangement.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu,
Presidential Correspondent