Akufo-Addo names three deputies for Finance, Energy, Information Ministries

The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to announce three deputy ministers each for the Finance and Energy Ministries today April 15,2021.

Other deputy ministers-designate list will also be released today, according to highly placed sources at the Office of the President.

According to Asaase Radio, Charles Adu-Boahen and Abena Osei Asare, who both served as deputies to Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance, will maintain their posts. The President will appoint a third person to make the number of Deputy Finance Ministers three. Kwaku Kwarteng, a former Deputy Minister of Finance will now be the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament.

The Energy Ministry, which is considered as one of the most important sectors of the Ghanaian economy, will have Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer, the MP for the Sekondi Constituency as one of the three Deputy Ministers who will be assisting the Sector Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the station reported.

The Ministry of Information, is expected to have two deputy ministerial positions and Fatimatu Abubakar, the current Deputy Director of Communications at the Presidency is tipped to be one of the two deputies who will be working with the substantive Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

Diana Asonaba Dapaah, will be named as one of two Deputy Ministers of Justice and Attorney General to assist Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Justice.

Diana Asonaba Dapaah is a lawyer called to both the Ghana and New York Bar. She is also the current Vice President of the Ghana Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Hub. She is expected to compliment the Attorney General with her strengths in civil litigation and corporate law. Diana is a lecturer in Law at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), teaching Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Corporate Law and Governance, Public International Law and Human Rights Law and Company Law.

Diana is a World Bank-certified trainer in corporate governance and also in human rights and ADR and has trained lawyers and judges in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Her areas of research include ADR, corporate law and governance and human rights. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Overall, President Akufo-Addo’s Deputy Ministerial list is expected to have more women than men as compared to the Ministerial list that had more males as against females. Parliament’s Appointments Committee will be required to vet all of the President’s nominees before they are sworn into office. Even though Parliament is currently on recess, the Appointments Committee is expected to resume work ahead of the next meeting of Parliament to vet President Akufo-Addo’s Deputy Ministers-designate.