Akufo-Addo should appoint more ministers – Nhyiaeso MP

The Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso Kennedy Kankam has opined that judging by the enormity of challenges confronting the current government, he would have appointed more ministers if he were the President.

He also questioned what Ghana and Ghanaians benefited from the ‘lean government’ under previous governments.

“If I were the President I would have appointed more ministers and deputies. What is the result of lean government since Kwame Nkrumah as being argued by some? I want someone to tell me the benefits. If the so-called lean governments were successful, would we have the problems that are facing the country currently? We will appoint more ministers to do the work and that is more important than those who feel we are running a bloated government.”

Criticism greeted President Nana Akufo-Addo’s appointment of 110 ministers and deputies, with some arguing that the number will put pressure on the national purse.

But President Akufo-Addo defended his decision saying he needed that number of ministers to help him govern well.

However, the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has described as senseless the justification of the president.

But buttressing the president’s position on Onua FM morning Show ‘Yen Nsem Pa’, Kennedy Kankam said Ghana is faced with enormous challenges in all sectors of the economy that needed the number and the expertise to deal with them.

“So if I hear people especially the NDC making noise about this 110 ministers thing, then I want to ask what have they left the country with?, Look at the challenges even at the EPA, the transport sector, the power issues and the rest, how do we deal with them if we don’t have more hands?” he asked.

The legislator told Bright Kwesi Asempa who hosted the show that those who are arguing that the size of the current government will have a toll on the national treasury, “I want to tell them that, if we don’t have the money to pay them, even if it takes us to get blood money (Sika duro) to pay them to fix our challenges, we will, whether they like it or not, Nana is here to work.”

He insisted, “If we discover that the NDC has spent all the resources, we will go for blood money to do the work.”