Akufo-Addo ‘had to persuade people to come and serve’ in his gov’t

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo went to the extent of persuading some persons to accept his nomination to serve in his government, a Deputy Chief of Staff has revealed.

Samuel Abu Jinapor said the gesture stems from the president’s passion for seeing Ghana transformed for the better.

He was speaking to TV3’s Nana Kwaku Aduah on Tuesday, January 24 after President Akufo-Addo announced 10 persons to serve as his regional ministers upon approval by Parliament.

Among the persons introduced by the president at the Flagstaff House as his regional ministerial appointees was Dr Archibald Yao Letsa to head the Volta Region.

Dr Letsa is the Chief Executive Officer for AVL Holdings Ghana Limited and a former parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr Jinapor said the likes of Dr Letsa had to be persuaded to join the Akufo-Addo-led government.

“The kind of government the president has put together so far, it’s become pretty obvious that we are seeing a serious government.”

The president himself has expressed confidence in his appointees, several times asking Parliament’s Appointments Committee to expedite their vetting.

“I believe that already the Ghanaian people have seen the quality of people I have named,” he said at Tuesday’s unveiling.

He said the country is in a critical state but “when our times are tough, the tough gets going”.