Akufo-Addo ought to tell Ghanaians the basis for ministerial assessment - Dr Adu-Gyamfi

A political analyst, Dr Samuel Adu-Gyamfi has urged President Nana Akufo-Addo to back his ongoing ministerial review with some action that will serve as a deterrent to other sector ministers in his government.

Speaking on the Morning Xpress on Radio XYZ 93.1 MHZ, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) lecturer advocated for the president to make clear the basis of the review to Ghanaians.

“He [president] is unable to give us the basis for such assessment and why we should know. What are the parameters? What are the things he’s assessing them on?” he asked.

Asked if he was expecting a massive reshuffle in the government of Akufo-Addo, the political historian told the host, Kofi Oppong Asamoah that: “you’d agree with me that we have not seen the best yet. Something ought to be done, and it is critical that at least, we have some reshuffling; people losing their jobs and all that. If we don’t see that then it will not follow the logic of democracy in bringing development to the people but rather following more emotions and attachment of ancestral connection rather than bringing development to the people”.

“It should lead to some action. We cannot sit here and say that all the ministers have performed. For example, a ministry like Sanitation ought to have been a ministry that should have made headlines throughout the year,” he said as he pointed that the sector minister, Kofi Adda has not been impressive.

President Akufo-Addo on Monday, February 12, 2018, started engaging his appointees particularly, Ministers of State, one-on-one, to assess their performance. It comes in the wake of speculations of a possible reshuffle and downsizing of his government which has been described as the largest in West Africa.

Currently, the president has appointed 110 Ministers and deputies aside scores of appointees serving in other portfolios as Chief Executives or Board members of various institutions and organizations.

Minister of State in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei in an earlier interview with XYZ News, underscored the importance of the exercise and said it would help put the ministers on their toes, including himself who prepared the evaluation of the ministers.

“I myself, I will be assessed…I am not over confident, but I know I am doing my work right,” he said.

The exercise on Monday was scheduled for four ministers. Minister for National security, Kan Dapaah; Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen; Regional Re-organisation Minister, Dan Botwe and Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister for Foreign Affairs were to meet the president behind closed doors.

But Dr Adu-Gyamfi believes that the exercise should be made public.

To him the targets for the ministers should be known so when they are not met, Ghanaians can appreciate why a particular minister has to stay in office or fired, a reason why the president needs to make the review and the targets of the ministers public.

“So we want to know the parameters. It is very important for us to know,” said Dr Adu-Gyamfi.