President Akufo-Addo yesterday flew out of the country to an undisclosed destination abroad on official assignment after carrying out a much-anticipated reshuffling of his government.
The process appears to show the President finally bowing to growing pressure by both party faithful and others to reshuffle his government.
After the much-wait and almost a week of keeping Ghanaians in suspense about hints of a possible shakeup in his administration, he decided to drop the list before he left the country yesterday for a trip abroad.
The release saw the exit of the much-pursued Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta from his government.
In his place has been appointed Mohammed Amin Adam who was a Deputy Minister of Energy.
The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Kwaku Botwe has been axed and replaced with his deputy, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah.
The President has also replaced Interior Minister Ambrose Dery with Greater Accra Minister, Henry Quartey and asked Francis Asenso Boakye to go and replace Kwasi Amoako Atta at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, whilst Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is being sent to the Ministry of Works and Housing, with Ambrose Dery having been reassigned to the Office of the President as a Minister of State.
The rest include the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, who is being sent to replace Kwaku Agyeman-Manu at the Ministry of Health.
The President has also introduced some fresh limbs like Ophelia Mensah Hayford, the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman whose husband was murdered under bizarre circumstance to become the substantive Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation to replace Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, whilst Deputy Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar is being elevated to a substantive minister status as well as young MP for Okaikoi South, Dakoa Newman, who goes to replace Lariba Abudu as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Freda Prempeh has also been replaced with Ayawaso West Wuogon MP Lydia Seyram Alhassan whilst Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Mohammed Awal has been replaced with the MP for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer and former MP for Tema East, Titus Glover having been brought on board to replace Henry Quartey as the Greater Accra Regional Minister and new face Daniel Machator being appointed to replace Joseph Makubu as Oti Regional Minister.
The President has also brought in some fresh young hands to help his government, chief among them being the nomination of MP for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh as Deputy Minister for Information and Old Tafo MP, Vincent Ekow Assafuah and his colleague MP for Binduri, Abdulai Abanga as Deputy Ministers for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development. The MP for Lower West Akim, Charles Acheampong, heads to the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation as a Deputy.
Other newly nominated Deputy Ministers include the MP for Nsuta-Kwamang-Beposo, Adelaide Ntim and the MP for Akim Oda Alexander Akwasi Acquah, who are going to replace Tina Mensah at the Ministry of Health, whilst the MP for Kwesimintsim, Dr. Prince Hamid Armah heads to the Ministry of Works and Housing as Deputy.
MP for Mion, Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaba also heads for the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development as Deputy. The MPs for Mpohor and Afigya Kwabre North, John Kobina Sanie, Collins Adomako Mensah are going to the Ministry of Energy, and MP for Kwadaso, Kingsley Nyarko for Education.
Also in the news is the nomination of Festus Awuah Kwofie as Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, with MP for Tano South Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah going to the Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
The President has since expressed his sincere appreciation directly to each of the Ministers and Deputy Ministers, who have exited government, for their commitment, competence, dedication and hard work in office, which helped in the realisation of government’s mandate to the Ghanaian people over the last seven years, and wished each of them well in their future endeavours.
He has since forwarded the list of the latest nominees to the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin for vetting and approval, and expressed hope that Parliament will, once again, on a bi-partisan basis, expedite the approval of his nominees, so they can join the government forthwith, and assist in the delivery of his mandate for his second term in office.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent