The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged President John Mahama to reconsider his commitment to appointing not more than 60 ministers, urging him to apologise to Ghanaians and increase the number of appointees to ensure effective governance.
President Mahama, during his campaign, pledged to limit his ministerial appointments to 60 as part of a promise to promote efficiency and reduce government expenditure.
However, Mr Afenyo-Markin argues that such a restriction may hamper the government’s ability to manage the complexities of governance.
Read also: No Deputy Ministers for certain ministries, Mahama confirms to keep his gov’t lean
Speaking on the floor of Parliament during the debate on the approval of ministerial nominees on Thursday, January 23, the Minority Leader said 60 ministers would not help his political cause.
Minority Leader, Afenyo-Markin
“When we make mistakes, let’s admit them and apologise. 60 ministers will not help your political cause.
“…I am not the president, but if I were to advise Mr President, I would say, Mr President, you can apologise to Ghanaians and say, look, you underestimated the thing. I think I need to engage more ministers,” he added.
He pointed out the challenges of combining ministries, such as the Local Government and Chieftaincy Ministry, which he described as requiring intensive oversight and conflict resolution.
Mr Afenyo-Markin expressed concern that limiting ministerial appointments could overburden the few appointees, leading to inefficiencies and possible allegations of corruption.
He further argued that maintaining the same number of civil servants while reducing the number of ministers would not necessarily translate to cost savings. Instead, it might result in inadequate supervision and monitoring, potentially causing governance lapses.
“People forget that when you merge two ministries, the staffers remain the same. All the civil servants who are there stay. One minister supervising everything will soon lead to things getting out of hand, and then corruption accusations will follow,” he noted.
The Minority Leader urged the President to make a pragmatic decision, acknowledging that the realities of governance may require a departure from campaign promises.
Voice of Hon Afenyo Markin.
According to the Former Tamale Central Member of Parliament, Inusah Fuseini, has criticised Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin for questioning President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to appoint 60 ministers during his administration.
Fuseini rejected Afenyo-Markin’s suggestion that Mahama should apologise to Ghanaians for committing to this pledge.
He described the call as baseless, asserting that the president’s decision aligns with his promise to run a lean but effective government.
Fuseini emphasised that the president cannot breach his own promise to the people, firmly stating, “We are not going to accept that. As a member of the NDC, the president cannot violate his own promise to the people.
We resist that.
also criticised Afenyo-Markin for what he described as hypocrisy, highlighting Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s earlier campaign pledge to work with only 50 ministers.
“Is Afenyo suggesting that Bawumia was not being honest with Ghanaians when he said he would work with 50 ministers? And that if Bawumia had won, he
would apologise to Ghanaians and raise the number beyond 50?” he questioned.
“President Mahama’s decision to appoint 60 ministers was part of his broader vision to create a streamlined government, contrasting sharply with the 120 ministers in Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration”
Voice of Hon Inusah Fuseini.
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