President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta
In some of my write-ups, I posited that what Ghanaians indeed want now from President Akufo-Addo in these difficult economic times is a drastic reduction in the current number of ministers and ministries, including other political appointees with duplicate functions. I also indicated that the continuous stay of Ken Ofori-Atta is like poison for the health of Ghana’s economy.
It is evident that Nana Akufo-Addo is simply impervious to any suggestions when it comes to a significant reduction in his ministers by merging some ministries to save the public purse, which he promised to protect if he was voted into power during the 2016 general elections.
He is even so determined to ignore his NPP’s internal counsel to sack Ken Ofori-Atta a long time ago. Over 80 NPP MPs publicly expressed their utter dissatisfaction about the continuous stay of Ken Ofori-Atta in office when Ghana’s economy is suffering badly in his hands as the Finance Minister.
Ofori-Atta’s stay at the Finance Ministry makes nonsense of the dissenting NPP MPs who have been calling for his resignation a long time ago, like other Ghanaians including the NDC.
The point is that if President Akufo-Addo is unwilling to sack or reshuffle his cousin, who doubles as the Finance Minister, how can he be justified in doing it to other appointees of his? He only attempted to fill in the vacant positions left by Alan Cash and others who want to lead the NPP into the 2024 general elections. This, therefore, cannot be a proper reshuffle, as the NPP wants Ghanaians to believe. It is, however, a fill-in, or ‘pseudo-reshuffle’ as I call it.
The claim of Akufo-Addo’s government to have reduced expenditure in terms of cuts in salaries, per diems, travel allowances, etc. of his appointees has not resulted in any substantial government expenditure reductions and has not amounted to any noticeable economic impact on the lives of Ghanaians.
It appears this government knows exactly what to do to alleviate the sufferings of Ghanaians but rather wants the easiest way out by rather asking ordinary Ghanaians to haircut and accept the poorly handled ongoing Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
Until Ghanaians loudly and unanimously tell President Akufo-Addo, enough is indeed enough; this unfortunate imperviousness to alternative views will continue to exist for the rest of the 2 years of his presidency. Let us be citizens but not spectators!!!
