Dafeamekpor points out ‘errors’ in Akufo-Addo’s ‘Valentine’s Day’ reshuffle

The Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has called out the presidency over an error he claims was made in a statement announcing changes President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had made in his government.

The first part of the statement issued by the Office of the President, which was labelled ‘A,’ had a list of central and local government ministers and deputy ministers President Akufo-Addo had relieved of their duties.

The second part of the statement, which was numbered ‘B,’ showed a list of ‘New Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial Appointments’ including ‘Ministers of State Designate’ and ‘Deputy Ministers of State Designate’.

The third part of the statement which was numbered ‘C,’ with the title ‘Re-assigned Ministers & Deputy Minister of State,’ shows a list of some of the ministers who were relived of their duties in ‘A,’ re-assigned to new ministries.

The affected ministers included the former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Amin Adam, who was re-assigned to be the Minister of Finance; outgoing Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, to be Minister of The Interior; and the outgoing Minister of Workers and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, to be Minister of Roads and Highway.

The outgoing Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, was also re-assigned to be the Minister of Works and Housing; outgoing Minister of The Interior, Ambrose Dery, to be a Minister of State at the Office of the President; and an outgoing Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Abdulai Abanga, as the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.

Reacting to this in a post shared on X, on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, Dafeamekpor argued that President Akufo-Addo cannot re-assign ministers he has fired.

He explained that ‘re-assignment’ is not possible in this instance because the positions in question have been declared vacant by the president, indicating that he had relieved the affected ministers of their duties.

He added that the right terminology the president should have used was re-appointment.

“Art 81 states: ‘The Office of a Minister of State or a Deputy Minister shall become vacant if (a) his Appointment is Revoked by the President.’

“This means the Prez has revoked the appointments of these Ministers. Prez cannot ‘re-assign’ those revoked but ‘re-appoint’ instead,” he wrote.

Read the MP's post below:

Art 81 states: “The Office of a Minister of State or a Deputy Minister shall become vacant if (a) his Appointment is Revoked by the President.”

This means the Prez has revoked the appointments of these Ministers. Prez cannot “re-assign” those revoked but ‘re-appoint’ instead pic.twitter.com/4aFXfAAp5j

— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) February 14, 2024