Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said President Akufo Addo’s choice of Cabinet ministers demonstrate his priority when it comes to governance. He was reacting to the list of 19 ministers whose name has been communicated to the leadership of Parliament as Cabinet Minister.
The President by Article 76 (1) of the 1992 constitution, submitted a list of 19 ministers to the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin on Thursday June 10, 2021. The list comprises of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta; Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul; Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery; Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame; Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto; Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh; Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum; and Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu.
The rest of the names on the list are: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; Minister for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Daniel Botwe; Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor; Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah; Minister for Railway Development, John Peter Amewu; Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah; Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson; Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Alhaji Ibrahim Awal Mohammed; and Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye.
However, conspicuously are two ministers that the North Tongu Legislature considered as critical ministries who could not be overlooked by any “serious government, especially if the one who is leading that administration has touted much about development”.
“If you want to know the President’s priority when it comes to development, look at his cabinet. He touted so much about year of roads, yet his Road and Highways Minister is not in his cabinet that should tell you his commitment to that sector” he told Noel Nutsugah, host of Statecraft on Zylofon102.1fm.
The Akufo-Addo government in its first term tagged 2020 as the “Year of Roads” where it promised to embark on an aggressive road development across Ghana. Then delivering his inaugural speech after been sworn-in to commence his second tenure in office, President Akufo-Addo pledged to prioritize road construction in 2021 to ensure that a significant number of kilometers across the country are tarred.
But Mr. Ablakwa explained that the president has just confirmed to Ghanaians that his mantra of year of road is a façade and must not be taken seriously. He said “when the president and the minister of roads and highways going round shouting the year of roads, the 2021 budget as we speak does not have any substantial money set aside for road projects, so I get worry when they are talking about year of roads. I am disappointed in the President for this”.
Mr. Ablakwa also argued that one of the pressing issues facing the country for which the youth have been agitating on social media, has to do with unemployment, for which some youths are in court over their intention to demonstrate to draw the attention of government to their plight. “But it seemed clear now that the president doesn’t care hence did not think Youth and Sports Minister should be a cabinet minister“.
“Noel, I’m worried that the president did not think Youth and Sports Ministry shpuld be part of his cabinet. This is troubling because recent report by NCCE indicated that unemployment could be a precursor for insurrection, that is why it is important we have the Youth and Sports minister in cabinet to formulate policies that will give jobs to the youths” he added.
He expressed surprise as to the decision that went into making Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister a cabinet minister when there is Minister of Agriculture part of the list, if not for the fact that the President takes delight in duplication of roles.
“We have issues with galamsey to deal with as well as critical happenings around us in the sub-region, that has to do with extremism but the president did not see the reason to include National Security Minister to the list of cabinet ministers, that tells you his priority”, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said.
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