Reduce your ‘elephant-sized’ government in your second term – Akufo-Addo told

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been advised to reduce his “elephant-sized” ministerial appointees in his second term.

This clarion call was made by Senior Research Fellow at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Dr Smart Sarpong as he admonished the president-elect to slash down his number of ministers in his second term to ensure real protection of the national purse.

According to Dr. Sarpong, there are some ministries whose services are not relevant.

He cited the Ministry of Regional Reorganization and Development as well as Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, among others, as some of the ministries that must be dissolved to reduce cost and waste.

Dr. Smart Sarpong while speaking on Akoma FM‘s morning show GhanAkoma on Friday, December 11 told host Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that “the cluster of ministers must be reduced to at most 70 or 80”.

President Akufo-Addo in 2017 after clinching power appointed a record number of 125 ministers, a move most Ghanaians from all the political divides spoke against and considered as ‘outrageous’.

After the re-election of the president, Dr. Sarpong is of the view that President Akufo-Addo must effect a 50 percent reduction in his ministerial appointees to instill confidence in the populace.

“Some of us believe that the overwhelming number of ministers doesn’t work. It only creates avenue for corruption, hence the president must return to the drawing board and restrategize his number of ministers going forward into his second-term administration”