CDD-Ghana boss blasts “haphazard” creation of ministries

Ghana’s current and former presidents have “abused 100%” the provision of the Constitution that gives them the powers to create ministries unilaterally, and that must be checked, argues the boss of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).

The Executive Director of the non-profit policy research and advocacy organisation, Professor Edward Gyimah-Boadi has called for that aspect of the 1992 Constitution to be looked at again because “it is wrong and very unconstructive.”

Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, Tuesday, Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said although the supreme document of the land did not put a cap on the creation or appointment of ministers, the practice is becoming inimical to the ailing economy and good governance in general.

“What does it do for the development of the nation and good governance when the president can unilaterally create a new ministry and agency without parliamentary approval,” the political scientist probed.

“Do you realise how much havoc this whole thing does to the budget of the nation. Why do we keep acting in this haphazard manner,” Prof. Gyimah-Boadi stressed. “That makes the Constitution unhelpful and undevelopmental. This is totally absurd and we got to ask ourselves what are we doing?”

President John Mahama over the weekend announced the creation of a Power Ministry with a new minister in a bid to solve the ongoing power crisis in the oil-producing country. The executive decision has been greeted with severe public backlash.