Muntaka 'jabs' Nana Addo over Cabinet list; Kyei Mensah 'rescues'

The Minority Chip Whip Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak has questioned why President Nana Akufo-Addo failed to add the Local Government Minister and the Senior Minister to Cabinet.

The legislator says the exemption was indicative of the fact that these portfolios were not considered a priority areas by the President.

Speaking to Rainbow Radio’s parliamentary correspondent Naa Darkuah Doodo, he said, “If they were, I don’t see why they would not be on the cabinet list.’’

According to him, some the members of the Cabinet does not wash and to exclude the Minister of Local Government considering the pledge by the president to allow Metropolitan and District Chief Executives elected is worrying.

“You look at the issue of local development and the way it cuts across, and they don’t find representation in the Cabinet. They [Senior and Local Government Ministers] may be attending as participants, but it is surprising that for the first time, you don’t have the Local Government minister and the Senior Minister.”

“I know others who are not on it, but you could gloss over it; but to have two ministers of state on it yet you don’t have the senior minister and the local government ministers were a bit surprising,” the MP added.

Meanwhile the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has explained why the two were excluded.

He said, the Senior Minister does not have a Ministry and his duty is to only coordinate the economic Ministries.

There will be no basis to add the Senior Minister to Cabinet, he added. The president he stated considered regional and gender balance to form his cabinet.

The names of the 19 Cabinet ministers include Mr Alan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, Minister of Defence, Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister of the Interior, and Mr Boakye Agyarko, Minister of Energy.

The rest are Ms Gloria Akuffo, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Agriculture, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Education and Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Minister of Health.

Others are Dr Anthony Akoto-Osei, Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Dan Kweku Botwe, Minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development, Mr John Peter Amewu, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and Mr Joe Ghartey, Minister of Railway Development.

The remaining are Mr Ignatius Bafuor Awuah, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Kweku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Transport, Mrs Catherine Afeku, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, Minister for Special Development Initiative.