We won’t fail you - Ministers tell Akufo-Addo

The 10 Regional Ministers who were sworn in last Friday have assured President Akufo-Addo that they would not disappoint him with the tasks given them.

Thanking the president for the honour and privilege done them, the Western Regional Minister, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, said with emphasis, “On behalf of my colleagues, we want to extend our sincerest thanks to the president for the honour that has been reposed in us and we make this solemn pledge that being mindful of the hard toil that this president has gone through, we will not fail him,” to a spontaneous applause from the crowd that had gathered at the Credential Hall of the presidency to witness their swearing-in.

Resolve

Dr Kwaku Afriyie assured, “We are very clear in our minds and the president has even made allusions to that; our pledge has been encapsulated in this Latin phrase ‘Semper humilis,’ always humble; we shall be humble but we shall always be very diligent and..…… make sure that the policies that have been enunciated in our party manifesto are carried to fruitfulness.

“We are aware that we have a historic opportunity to deliver what is good to our fellow Ghanaians and by this pledge as you’ve said, we are going to be the face and ears of our party and your government to our fellow Ghanaians, that is why we have said that we will be humble but we will make sure that we also have team work as part of our work ethics.”

Going forward, he stressed, “We shall be very truthful and will also not hesitate to visit you to as it were, get fired up and charged up when even we have any depressive episode because we know that the task ahead is very difficult.”

Admission

Much as he admitted the fact that “it’s not going to be easy,” the Western Regional Minister indicated, “We’ve charged up and we will make sure that we deliver according to the pledges that are made.

“In this instance, we pledge that we’ll cooperate with our fellow colleagues, the sector ministers and we also pledge to go to the grassroots; we will collaborate with traditional authorities and the Ghanaian community at large, so that your vision will be fulfilled.”

Congratulating the ministers and wishing them Godspeed in the discharge of their duties, President Akufo-Addo said, “I’m confident that with God’s guidance, you will succeed.”

He could not but thank the Speaker and Members of Parliament (MPs) for the speedy manner in which they vetted and approved his ministerial nominees.

For him, “It is a good demonstration of the spirit of cooperation of the executive which I want to make a hallmark of my presidency.”

Charge

President Akufo-Addo insisted, “You know my resolve; it is to provide good, honest government for our people which will enable our economy to recover and grow rapidly, to create jobs especially for our young people and to generate prosperity for the mass of our people in conditions of freedom and responsibility.

Whiles he admitting the fact that “it is a tall order,” the president noted, “One which the decisive and emphatic mandate we, the NPP and I received on December 7, 2016, obliges us to deliver; we have no other choice.”

He asked for the full cooperation of his ministers to deliver that mandate, pointing out, “The quality of your relations with those with whom you work, the civil servants of the regional coordinating council, the metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and members of the assemblies in your regions, the regional personnel of the public bodies under you, the chiefs and traditional rulers in your region and of course the people, will determine your ability to succeed.”