Consider gender and regional balance in your appointments - NGO

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been urged to take into consideration gender, regional and cultural diversity in the appointments of ministers and other leaders in his second tenure in office.

The Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment-Ghana (RISE-Ghana), a Non-Governmental Organization, said that would ensure that all Ghanaians had fair representation in government and would propel even development.

Mr Awal Ahmed Kariama, the Executive Director of RISE-Ghana who made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga further impressed upon the President to appoint more women, youth and persons with disability into the governance system.

“This will ensure that the interest of all citizens especially women, youth and PWDs are catered for, their voice can be heard because they have strong representation in decision making,” he added.

Mr Kariama said many of the women, youth and PWDs who were appointed by the President to serve under the government in the last four years, justified the confidence reposed on them by working hard and advocated more portfolios for the vulnerable groups.

He also proposed to the President to consider saving the nation’s public purse by either cutting down the number of Ministers and Ministries or merging some of the Ministries.

Mr Kariama said many of the dams that were built under the One Village One Dam (1V1D) project, awarded and supervised by the Ministry of Special Initiatives through the Northern Development Authority were poorly executed because the concept of decentralization was flouted.

He, therefore, appealed to the President to strengthen the decentralization concept under the second term of his office to help promote participation, transparency, accountability, which he noted, were among the cardinal principles of good governance.