New Secretary To Cabinet

Mercy Debrah

The President has appointed yet another woman to a critical position in his government.

She is Mercy Yvonne Debrah Karikari, who has been appointed the Secretary to Cabinet.

A statement issued at the presidency, Flagstaff House under the hand of Eugene Arhin, acting Director of Communications yesterday said, “pursuant to Article 76(3) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has appointed Ambassador Mercy Yvonne Debrah-Karikari as Secretary to the Cabinet, effective February 14, 2017.”

She thus becomes the first woman in the country's history to be appointed to that position.

Ambassador Mercy Yvonne Debrah-Karikari is said to be a career diplomat with several years in the diplomatic service.

Until her appointment, she was Ghana's High Commissioner to Australia, with concurrent accreditation to New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and other countries in the Pacific region.

She joins the list of women the President has appointed to key positions, which have often been occupied by their male counterparts just like Frema Akosua Osei-Opare, who is the first woman to be appointed Chief of Staff in the country's history.

Of the 36 persons appointed by President Akufo-Addo to various ministerial positions in his government, 10 of them were women; Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey-Foreign Affairs, Hajia Alima Mahama-Local Government, Cecilia Dapaah-Aviation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful-Communications, Gloria Akuffo-Minister of Justice, Catherine Afeku-Tourism, Otiko Djaba-Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mavis Hawa Koomson-Development Initiatives, Grace Afoley Quaye- Fisheries.

The number represents 27 percent of the ministerial appointees.

The NPP, in the 2016 Manifesto, promised to appoint at least 30 percent of women into public office.

“The NPP, under the Kufuor-led administration, in demonstration of the importance of women and children in the society, set up Ghana's first Ministry for Women and Children's Affairs. Today, the NPP remains committed to gender equality and children's rights and will work assiduously to achieve the appointment of women to at least 30% of available public office positions,” the party said under its Women Empowerment and Children's Rights Section of the Social Development chapter of its Manifesto.

With just 37 ministerial appointments, the President seems to be on course to fulfilling his campaign promise of ensuring that women will feature prominently in his administration.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent