'Akufo-Addo's festival of ministries drain on Ghana's resources' – Franklin Cudjoe

The founder of think-tank, IMANI Ghana has described the creation of new ministries and decoupling of old ones by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a "festival of ministries."

Franklin Cudjoe says the new ministries announced by the President Wednesday would be a drain on the nation's limited resources.

Speaking to Evans Mensah, host of Joy FM's Top Story programme, he said documents available point to the lack of resources and not structures as the bane of the nation.

The President has announced the second batch of nominees to serve in various ministerial portfolios under his government.

They include Monitoring and Evaluation Minister-designate, Dr Anthony Osei Akoto, Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, Dan Kwaku Botwe as Regional Re-organisation Minister-designate, and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister-designate, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

The rest are Ignatius Baffuor Awuah as Employment and Labour Relations Minister-designate, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah as Transport Minister-designate, Kwesi Amoako Arthur as Roads and Highways Minister-designate.

NPP's National Women Organiser, Otiko Afisa Djaba has been nominated as Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister-designate, Ablekuma West MP, Ursula Owusu as Communication Minister-designate, and Joseph Kofi Ada as Sanitation and Water Resources Minister-designate.

New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Volta Regional Minister, John Peter Amewu has been nominated as the Lands and Natural Resources Minister-designate, and former Attorney-General under erstwhile President John Kufuor, Joe Nana Ghartey as Railways Development Minister-designate.

A notable feature is the creation of three new ministries namely the Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry, Railways Development Ministry and Regional Re-organisation Ministry.

The President has said the Minister-designate for Regional Re-organisation would work on the creation of the three new regions he has promised during the 2016 campaign.

The governing NPP has promised to create four regions namely Oti Region from the Volta Region, Ahafo Region from the Brong Ahafo Region, a region from the Northern Region, and another region from the Western Region.

But Mr Cudjoe said the country does not need a new ministry to superintend the creation of the regions when the Local Government Ministry could do that.

"I find it a bit strange...in spite of deciding that they are going to have regional belts something akin to the Savannah Development Authority (SADA)," he said.

"It is an exceeding drain on the resources," he said, adding new ministries cannot be created in the country to address problems when there departments responsible for such things.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected]