The Minister of Information Mustapha Hamid has defended the huge size of President Akufo-Addo’s government, arguing numbers do not matter.
Mr. Hamid insisted the New Patriotic Party (NPP) never “promised a lean government” when it was in opposition, stressing the end result is what matters when constituting a government.
“Nowhere did we ever promise a lean government because in our view it is not the leanness or bigness of a government that determines its output or its ultimate performance,” the Information Minister said at a press conference Wednesday.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed 110 ministers in total, making his government the biggest in the Fourth Republic. The previous NPP government led by former President John Kufuor had 88 ministers while the Mills administration that succeeded it had 69 ministerial appointees. The Mahama administration, however, had 78 ministerial appointments.
According to Hamid, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations had smaller numbers, but failed the country compared to Kufuor’s era.
“We have had in the history of this country governments that are smaller that have landed this country in bigger debts and bigger mess than governments that have had bigger ministers,” Hamid emphasised.
He stressed: “Those who came subsequently after that created all the financial mess that we have on our hands and we are still dealing with… so I can purport to run a government with 10 ministers and still create avenue for them to loot our nation or to have a government that is bigger than that, but which has people of integrity who are on the job and doing the things that ought to be done. It is not about leanness or bigness but about results and deliverables.”
Below is a list of Nana Addo’s list of nominees for ministers of state and deputies
1. Minister of State at the Office of the – Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo
President – Public Procurement
2. Minister of State at the Office of the President – Hon. Brian Acheampong
3. Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture – Dr. Nurah Gyeile
4. Minister of State at the Ministry of Education – Prof. Kwesi Yankah
– Tertiary Education
The names of the nominees for Deputy Ministers are as follows:
1. Ministry of Finance – Hon Kwaku Kwarteng
– Hon Abena Osei Asare
– Charles Adu Boahen
2. Ministry of Energy – Hon Owuraku Aidoo
– Hon Joseph Cudjoe
– Dr. Mohammed Amin Anta
3. Ministry of Local Government
and Rural Development – Hon Osei Bonsu Amoah
– Hon Collins Ntim
– Hon Kwasi Boateng Agyei
4. Ministry of Information – Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
– Hon Ama Dokuaa Asiamah Agyei
– Perry Curtis Kwabla Okudzeto
5. Ministry of Agriculture – Hon William Agyapong Quaitoo
– Hon Dr Sagre Bambangi
– Hon George Oduro
6. Ministry of Trade and Industry – Hon Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah
– Robert Ahomka-Lindsey
7. Ministry of Roads and Highways – Hon Kwabena Owusu Aduomi
– Hon Anthony N-Yoh Puowele Karbo
8. Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources – Hon Benito Owusu Bio
– Hon Barbara Oteng Gyasi
9. Ministry of Works and Housing – Hon Freda Prempeh
– Hon Eugene Antwi
10. Ministry of Education – Hon Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum – Hon Barbara Ayisi Acher
11. Office of Attorney General and – Godfred Dame
Ministry of Justice – Hon Joseph Dinkiok Kpemka
12. Ministry of Health – Hon Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu
– Hon Tina Mensah
13. Ministry of Railways Development – Hon Kwaku Agyenim Boateng
– Hon Andy Appiah-Kubi
14. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and – Hon Mohammed Habbib Tijani
Regional Integration – Charles Owiredu
15. Ministry of Communications – Hon George Andah
– Hon Vincent Sowah Odotei
16. Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation – Hon Patrick Boamah
– Hon Michael Yaw Gyato
17. Ministry of Defence – Hon Maj. Derrick Oduro
18. Ministry of The Interior – Hon Henry Quartey
19. Ministry of Environment, Science – Hon Patricia Appiagyei
and Technology and Innovation
20. Ministry of Regional Reorganisation and – Martin Agyei-Mensah Korsah
Development
21. Ministry of Transport – Hon Nii Kwartei Titus Glover
22. Ministry of Employment And Social Welfare – Hon Bright Wireko Brobbey
23. Ministry of Fisheries And Aquaculture – Hon Francis Kingsley Ato Cudjoe
24. Ministry of Aviation – Hon Kwabena O. Darko-Mensah
25. Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs – Hon Paul Essien
26. Ministry of Gender, Children – Hon Gifty Twum Ampofo
and Social Protection
27. Ministry of Youth And Sports – Pius Enam Hadzide
28. Ministry of Tourism, Creative Arts And Culture – Hon Dr Ziblim Barri Iddi
29. Ministry of Monitoring And Evaluation – Hon William Kwasi Sabi
