Catherine Afeku
President Akufo-Addo has made some key changes in his government, with Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts Minister, Catherine Afeku, reassigned as Minister of State at the Presidency in the Office of the Senior Minister.
Mrs. Afeku was virtually ‘missing’ in action late last year when the president hosted journalists at the Jubilee House.
The president had asked for her to respond to a major question on the status of the Kumasi Theatre, but she was nowhere to be found even though her colleague ministers attended the ceremony to lend the president ‘moral’ support.
Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency and former Deputy Minister for Lands & Natural Resources, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, has been appointed the new minister for tourism.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhin.
According to the statement, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih is now Upper West Regional Minister-designate, with the former Regional Minister Sulemana Alhassan now reassigned.
“Hon. Catherine Afeku, Member of Parliament for Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira constituency and former Minister for Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts, is now a Minister of State at the Office of the President, assigned to the Office of the Senior Minister,” according to the statement.
It said, “Hon. Gifty Twum Ampofo, Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North constituency and former Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, is now Deputy Minister for Education; Hon. Freda Prempeh, Member of Parliament for Tano North constituency and former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, is now Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.”
According to the release available to DGN Online, “Hon. Barbara Ayisi Asher, Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North constituency and former deputy Minister for Education, is now Deputy Minister for Works and Housing; Hon. Naana Eyiah, Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central constituency, is now Deputy Minister-designate for Lands and Natural Resources.”
Furthermore, it added that “Hon. Alex Kodwo Kom Abban, Member of Parliament for Gomoa West constituency, is now Deputy Minister-designate for Health; Hon. Yaw Afful, Member of Parliament for Jaman South, is now Deputy Minister-designate for Aviation.”
It concluded that “President Akufo-Addo is hopeful that Parliament will expedite the vetting of the Minister-designate for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, the Regional Minister-designate for Upper West, as well as the deputy Ministers-designate for Aviation, Lands and Natural Resources, and Health so they can assume their respective offices as quickly as possible.”
BY Melvin Tarlue