The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged the newly sworn-in ministers and deputy ministers to remain focused on their duties and ignore fabricators and their motives.
According to the President, the collective objective of the government and its appointees was to serve the people of Ghana and allow history to judge the efforts.
“Ignore the fabricators and their fabrications and the naysayers. Remain resolute and focus on our collective objective to serve the Ghanaian people to the best of our abilities and leave the rest to God, to history and to the judgement of the good people of Ghana,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo said this on Monday, May 20, 2024 at a ceremony at Jubilee House to swear in 24 ministers and deputy ministers.
The President’s comments come at a time when his government has been hugely criticised by the opposition for what they claim to be under performance since 2017.
CONFIDENCE
With some sections questioning the need to make such appointments seven months to the end of the tenure of the current government, President Akufo-Addo urged the appointees to make a difference.
The President expressed confidence in the ministers and deputies, adding that they have enough time to prove a point.
“I am confident that there is enough time for you to make a difference and make a make a significant contribution. Indeed, anyone who has something to prove can make a point within a short period, and I am sure that your various competencies, experiences, and talents make this distinctly possible,” he added.
ASSIST
The President advised the deputy ministers to, at all times, exhibit allegiance to their ministers, as they had been appointed to primarily assist the ministers in carrying out their duties. He cautioned against deputy ministers undermining their ministers, thinking that such conduct would profit them. He said such a deputy minister would sadly be mistaken.
During the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo administered three oaths: the oaths of allegiance, office and secrecy. He then presented an instrument of office to each of the 10 ministers of state and 14 deputy ministers.
The approval of the appointees by Parliament was not without hurdles. President Akufo-Addo in his remarks said at last, the longest season of political drama, “Parliament edition,” came to an end.
He said it was a pity that the Minority Caucus walked out at the approval level.
“We thank God that the walkout was not fatal to the vote of approval. We learn every time more and more about the vagaries of parliamentary life,” he said.
GRATITUDE
Responding to the remarks by the President on behalf of the appointees, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, expressed their gratitude to the President for the appointment.
He assured him that they would work with integrity and would not disappoint the President, adding that they would work to ensure that the Akufo-Addo government became the best in the history of Ghana.
NEW MINISTERS
The ministers are; Andrew Egyapa Mercer for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Lydia Seyram Alhassan for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources; Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah for the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and Ophelia Mensah Hayford for the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The rest are Darkoa Newman for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye for the Ministry of Health; Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover for the Greater Accra Region; Fatimatu Abubakar for the Ministry of Information and Daniel Machator for the Oti Region, with Abena Osei-Asare as the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance.
NEW DEPUTY MINISTERS
The deputy ministers are Dr Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Sylvester Tetteh for the Ministry of Information; Charles Acheampong for the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation; Adelaide Ntim for the Ministry of Health and Vincent Ekow Assafuah for the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.
The others are John Kobina Abbam Aboah Sanie and Collins Adomako Mensah, both for the Ministry of Energy; Professor Kingsley Nyarko for the Ministry of Education; Dr Festus Awuah Kwofie for the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations; Akwasi Konadu for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources; Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaba for the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Dr Alexander Ampaabeng for the Ministry of Finance.
