Professor Kobby Mensah, a political marketing expert and lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), has highlighted a significant difference between ministerial appointments made by President John Dramani Mahama and his predecessor, former Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Joy News on Friday, January 17, Prof Mensah noted that key appointments in the Akufo-Addo administration often went to individuals with limited connections to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“In Akufo-Addo’s government, we saw sensitive appointments going to people who had little to no affiliation with the party. For instance, the Finance Minister [Ken Ofori-Atta], with all due respect, did not seem to have been actively involved at the party’s constituency level,” Prof Mensah explained.
He pointed out that this approach created a gap between the government and the political base, as some of these appointees lacked an understanding of the party’s grassroots dynamics.
“Because he’s not a party person, he doesn’t understand the nuances of the party. Even when parliamentarians ganged up against him, it was clear he lacked the political leverage to handle the situation,” Prof Mensah noted.
The academic compared this to President Mahama’s ministerial appointments, emphasizing that Mahama has selected individuals who has deep ties to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
For example, high-profile appointments such as Ato Forson—Finance Minister, John Jinapor—Energy Minister, and Attorney General and Minister of Justice—Dominic Ayine, reflects Mahama’s deliberate strategy of maintaining party loyalty in his administration.
Prof Mensah argued that while Akufo-Addo’s approach may have been intended to bring technical expertise into governance, it sometimes alienated the party’s grassroots, contributing to the challenges his administration faced.
Comments
Mr Trokosi should stop throwing dust into the eyes of Ghanaians. Where was this Ayigbe lecturer when Sam Payne, the former Ashanti Regional Npp Secretary was appointed as the Mayor of Kumasi? What about Kwamena Duncan being appointed as Central Regional Minister? Was Kwamena Duncan not Npp Regional Secretary in the Central Region m? Were this appointed not to satisfy party members? Shame unto you.