Reshuffle: Govt should have merged the ministries instead - Ako Gunn

A Deputy National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Godwin Ako Gunn, says the government should have merged some of the ministries in order to avoid the appointment of more ministers.

He was of the view that Ghanaians were already worried about the number of ministers and were also not happy about the current state of the economy and would have appreciated it if the President had allowed some of the ministers to either multitask or merge some of the ministries.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region, KT Hammond, has been nominated by President Akufo-Addo to replace Alan Kyerematen at the Trade and Industry Ministry.

The MP for Abetifi Constituency, Bryan Acheampong, has also been appointed as the Food and Agriculture Minister in place of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.

The move is part of four new ministerial nominations, two elevations from deputy minister to Minister of State positions and one deputy ministerial reshuffle made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

This was after some ministers, including Mr. Alan Kyerematen, Dr. Afriyie Akoto, and the Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ebenezer Kojo Kum, resigned from their respective positions to pursue their presidential ambitions, among others.

The MP for Nhyiaeso, Stephen Amoah, will be one of the Deputy Trade Ministers. Herbert Krapa, who was one of Alan’s deputies, has been shipped to the Energy Ministry as deputy minister.

Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, the former Director-General of SIGA, is now the new Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.

O B Amoah is now  Minister of State at the Ministry of Local Government.

Mohammed Amin Adam has also been put in charge of the Finance Ministry as Minister of State.

Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Host, Nana Yaw Fianko, Ako Gunn said, “Look at the Ministry of Chieftaincy, I am not against the Chiefs, but why do we have regional ministers?” Why do we have District Chief Executives and Municipal Chief Executives, but we still have a Minister for Chieftaincy? What unique things are they going to add up, to? What new thing is that ministry doing that the regional ministers cannot do? or DCEs are unable to do?” he questioned.

“This is a period when our finances are not going well,” he continued. Domestic bond holders are saying that we should cut down ministerial positions, especially now that there is no money to go to the ministries for the ministers to work with. That is why the government is saying they should hold people’s savings to manage the situation. “If we are holding it to manage ourselves, why do we still need these ministers? I was expecting the President to use this opportunity to put some ministries together.”

Mr Ako Gunn again said, “Under NDC, aviation, railway, and transportation were merged, and it was a woman that was managing them and so if an opportunity like this has come, why don’t we merge them to reduce the number?”.

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