Akufo-Addo building a united team – Lecturer

The mode of appointment adopted by President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, clearly depicts a president who wants things done differently, Dr Etse Sikanku, a lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, has said.

According to him, Mr Akufo-Addo has clearly shown that he wants all those who constitute his government to work together as a team rather than be individualistic.

The president-elect on Wednesday January 4 announced some names of persons who will form part of his government.

The list includes Frema Osei-Opare as Chief of Staff and Nana Asante Bediatuo as Presidential Secretary.

Francis Asenso-Boakye is Deputy Chief of Staff/Political Assistant to the president while Samuel Abu Jinapor has been named Deputy Chief of Staff. Ambassador Hassan Ahmed is Director of State Protocol, Eugene Arhin Director of Communications at the presidency, and Lord Oblitey Commey Director of Operations at the Presidency.

The others are Saratu Atta and Napaga Tia Sulemana as presidential staffers, Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere as National Security Advisor with National Security Coordinator going to Joshua Kyeremeh. Minister-designate for National Security is Albert Kan-Dapaah and Director of Research is Victor Newman.

His manner of announcing the appointees differs from what has been witnessed in the past when presidents issued a long list of appointees in a press statement. But Dr Sikanku believes this is apt.

Speaking in an interview with Emefa Apawu on Class 91.3FM’s ‘505’ programme on Wednesday January 4, he said: “The usual thing is for names to be passed around in a press release and the media takes it and assimilates it and discusses it, so I think this is a rarity rather than the norm.

“We know the inauguration is on Saturday and so he probably wants to make sure that he has a firm team in place before the inauguration in order that there wouldn’t be any disarray or confusion as to who is in charge of what.

“[Secondly], he probably wants to make sure that he hits the ground running on the inauguration day and the immediate aftermath of it so that there is a clear sense of direction as to who is in charge of what.”

He added: “...His mode shows a man who wants to do things differently, it shows that he wants to have people work together more as a team rather than as individuals.”