President Nana Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo has sworn in the new set of ministerial appointees he is bringing on board to support his government.
They include seven substantive ministers and 13 deputies; namely Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, Minister of Health; Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources; Dakoa Newman, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection; Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development; Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Titus Glover, Greater Accra Regional Minister and Daniel Machator, Oti Regional Minister.
The Deputy Ministers include Sylvester Tetteh, Information; Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development; Charles Acheampong, Communications and Digitalisation; Adelaide Ntim and Alexander Akwasi Acquah, Health, and Dr. Prince Hamidu Armah for Works and Housing.
The rest are Akwasi Konadu, Lands and Natural Resources; Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaba, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development; John Kobina Sanie and Collins Adomako Mensah, Energy, whilst Kingsley Nyarko goes to Education, with Festus Awuah Kwofie going to Employment and Labour Relations, and Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah being sent to Gender, Children and Social Protection.
After administering the oaths of office, allegiance and secrecy on Monday evening, President Akufo-Addo charged the new appointees, most of whom are also Members of Parliament, to ensure that they do not neglect their legislative duties while they go about their executive duties.
Whilst he admitted the fact that finding a balance between the two duties may be challenging, he insisted they still ought to find a way to perform the dual roles effectively.
“You will have to learn how to balance effectively your twin responsibilities as members of the legislature and members of the executive. It is an exact imbalance but doable, and do it you must,” he said.
The President expressed gratitude to Parliament for approving his ministerial nominees.
He, however, could not hide his disappointment in the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the walkout they staged during the approval process on Friday, May 17, 2024, describing it as a pity.
“It was a pity that at the last moment, the Minority which had participated in all the prior processes found it necessary to walk out of Parliament at the formal approval stage. We thank God that the walkout was not fatal to the vote of approval,” he said.
The President also had cause to advise the new ministers and deputy ministers to approach their work with professionalism and a high quality of integrity.
He added that the NPP has made a binding commitment to serve the people of Ghana and the same must guard their actions and inactions.
“The quality of integrity which will permeate your work is extremely important. You have to remember, at all times, the solemn commitment that we in the New Patriotic Party have made collectively and individually, jointly and severally in the language of the lawyers – to serve the Ghanaian people honestly and competently,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Appreciation
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Titus Glover, expressed gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for the confidence he has reposed in them by appointing them to the high office of ministers and deputy ministers.
Together with his colleagues, they committed to give their best in the last seven months of the Akufo-Addo-led administration, to convince the people of Ghana to vote the NPP back into office in the December 7, 2024 elections.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent