5 Ministries Ghana does not need

The Akufo-Addo government has spent over a year in office since being voted into power in 2016.

However, one thing that has blighted the tenure of the 73-year-old President is the sheer number of ministerial appointees.

President Akufo-Addo raised many eyebrows when he named a whopping 110 ministers in his government, with certain quarters questioning the rationale behind such a sizable government.

However, as it stands, not many of the President’s appointees have done enough to justify the reason for him putting them in office, most especially the new offices that were created.

Most of the ministries appear to be totally lost on what their mandates are and have contributed virtually nothing since being created.

Here are five ministries that has been less impactful and, therefore, must be scrapped:

1. Procurement Ministry

In May 2017 Adwoa Safo, was appointed the Minister of State at the presidency in charge of Public Procurement. However, the Dome Kwabenya MP has done very little since being put into that office.

Considering the fact that the Public Procurement Authority already exists, it is unclear what exact role Ms. Safo plays as a Minister of State.

Recently, when she was summoned to Parliament to answer for the alleged procurement of some 1,800 vehicles by the Micro Finance and Small Loans Centre [MASLOC], the minister insisted she was not the right person to be questioned.

This clearly shows that her office needs to be scrapped since its roles are being played by other state bodies.

2. Planning Ministry

The Minister for Planning at the Presidency, Professor George Gyan-Baffour, has been in office for over a year now, but with virtually nothing to show.

This ministry was one of six new ones created by President Akufo-Addo when he came to power. However, just like the Procurement Ministry, the Ministry for Planning has its roles already being played by another state body.

In fact, the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) is already tasked with planning the development of the country and it remains to be seen what the Ministry of Planning was actually set up for.

This, coupled with the fact that there is a whole Planning Ministry also in place, supports the reason why the Ministry for Planning at the Presidency must be scrapped.

3. Regional Reorganisation & Development Ministry

The Minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development, Dan Botwe, has been largely inactive except when there is talk about the proposed creation of new regions.

The MP for Okere constituency was sworn into office a year ago, but it is unclear what his official roles are in that office because there is already a Ministry of Planning to handle that.

Having both ministries make things complicated and it would be better if one is just scraped.

4. Special Development Initiatives Ministry

Once again the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives has roles similar to that of the Ministry of Planning and the Ministry of Regional Reorganisation and Development.

All three ministries seem to be geared towards one aim and it will be in the best interest of the state coffers if they are either merged or two of them scrapped.

5. Senior Minister

Perhaps the most confusing Ministry at the Presidency, the role of the Senior Minister has continued to divide opinion among Ghanaians.

Whiles some believe all the government appointees are supposed to report to the Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo, others also think otherwise.

President Akufo-Addo has previously suggested that the Senior Minister will play the role of supervisor, but as it stands who is he supervising and power does he actually hold on those he is supposed to be supervising? Perhaps scrapping the ministry will be in the right place.