The government of Ghana is holding a two-day retreat for the newly appointed ministers.
President Nana Akufo-Addo is leading the retreat at the Peduase Presidential Lodge.
The retreat started today, Sunday, March 7, will end on Monday, 8, 2021, paving way for the first batch of ministers to assume office on Tuesday, March 9, the same day President Akufo-Addo is expected to deliver the State of the Nation Address.
On Friday, March 5, 2021, the President administered the oath of office, secrecy and allegiance to 28 out of the total number of 30 ministerial appointees.
With the exception of Finance Minister designate, Ken Ofori-Atta who is out of the country on medical grounds and yet to be vetted, the Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ebenezer Kojo Kum who had gone through and have been approved was also not present on grounds of ill health.
The 28 others including the Ministers for National Security- Albert Kan Dapaah, Trade and Industry – Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Defence – Dominic Nitiwul, Interior – Ambrose Dery, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration – Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minster of Justice and Attorney General – Godfred Yeboah Dame, Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development – Daniel Botwe, Parliamentary Affairs – Osei Kyei Mensa Bonsu, Communications and Digitalisation – Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Food and Agriculture – Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Energy – Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Education – Dr. Yaw Osei Adu Twum were sworn in.
The rest were the Ministers for Health – Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Works and Housing – Francis Kwame Asenso-Boakye, Lands and Natural Resources – Samuel Abdulai Jinapo, Roads and Highways – Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Transport – Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development – Mavis Hawa Koomson, Railway Development – John Peter Amewu, Sanitation and Water Resources – Cecilia Dapaah, Tourism, Arts and Culture – Mohammed Awal, Gender, Children and Social Protection – Sarah Adwoa Safo, Environment, Science, Technology
and Innovation – Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Employment and Labour Relations – Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Information – Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Youth and Sports – Mustapha Ussif, Public Enterprises – Joseph Cudjoe and Minister State at the Ministry of Works and Housing -Freda Prempeh were all sworn in.
Moments after swearing them inPresident Akufo-Addo charged Ministers in his second term administration to work harder to improve the living standards of the citizenry.
The swearing in ceremony was held at the Jubilee House, the seat of the nation’s presidency.
By Melvin Tarlue