Government's performance justifies 110 ministers – Hamid

Mustapha Hamid, Minister of Information, has revealed that the performance of the Akufo-Addo government so far – during its 8 months in office – has justified the number of ministers the President appointed.

It is recalled that a section of the Ghanaian public criticised the President over the 110 ministers he appointed to help him steer the affairs of the country.

For example, the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), although commending the government for speedily assembling its team in real time, was not happy with the number of ministers the President appointed.

According to CDD Ghana, the 110 ministers assembled by the President was going to put pressure on the public purse.

“CDD-Ghana feels badly disappointed by President Akufo-Addo’s decision to appoint 110 ministers. It flies in the face of the President’s own declared commitment to protect the public purse as well as its longstanding good governance advocates’ campaign for meaningful reduction in the size of government and resultant government spending. We believe that the appointment of so many politicians to manage the state bureaucracy will further deepen its politicisation and undermine its authority,” statement said.

But speaking on the Ekosii Sen programme on Asempa FM on Wednesday, September 20, Mr Hamid said: “The number of ministers appointed has been justified by the work done so far by the government. For example, not every president that we have had has shown in the first year of his administration, the kind of commitment to fulfilling the promises as shown by President Akufo-Addo and his ministers.

“We are going to have the National ID cards, we have the paperless system being implemented, the Free Senior High school programme and several others, all in 8 months clearly show that the number of ministers appointed is justified.

“I believe that by the end of the four years, Ghanaians will really appreciate what we have been able to do.”