Akufo-Addo reassigns ministers: Otiko, Hamid out of cabinet

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced his first ever reshuffle.

The long-awaited ministerial reshuffle has seen some appointees reassigned to either head or deputize at other ministries.

News of the highly-anticipated ministerial musical chairs, seen by many as a means to inject some life into the current administration, have been trending for days now on social media.

The announcement therefore comes as no surprise to many. But what is shocking, however, is the list of appointees that appear to have been assigned lesser roles of importance in his administration.

The casualties include notables such as the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisah-Djaba.

She is now Ambassador-designate to Italy.

Hon Cynthia Morrison, MP for Agona West, is now the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection-designate.

Otiko Djabah is not the only person out of Nana Addo's cabinet; more are expected in the coming days.

But it is noteworthy that Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Kofi Adda, who was recently in the news for ‘doling out’ 30,000 cedis of his MP’s Common Fund to a church in his constituency, has been asked to head the Aviation Ministry.

Cecilia Dapaah, who formerly headed the Aviation Ministry, is now Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, with a major task of cleaning the filth in the major capitals.

Interestingly, Information Minister Mustapha Hamid has been reassigned to the Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development. Whiles a Deputy Minister for Information and MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has been elevated to that substantive office.

With the recent scandal over the AMERI power deal which has claimed the job of Hon Boakye Agyarko, the man tasked to temporarily hold the fort at the Energy Ministry, John Peter Amewu has been maintained.

Peter Amewu will have a responsibility to bring some calmness at the Energy Ministry which has suffered a lot of heat over the last few days.

Also, Pius Enam Hadzide, former deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, has been moved to the Information Ministry as a deputy.

While, Perry Curtis Okudzeto, former deputy Minister for Information, is now Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports.

A statement signed by the Communications Director at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, added that President Akufo-Addo is "hopeful Parliament will expedite the vetting" of the reassigned Ministers and their deputies "so they can assume their respective offices as quickly as possible".

Read below the full statement