"One District One Minister" Is Unacceptable

The NDC UK and Ireland Chapter has been following the appointment of ministers and deputy ministers of state in Ghana with utmost shock and disbelief.

The question we want to ask Nana Addo and Dr Bawumiah is, why do we need two or three ministers/deputy ministers to do the same job? In our view, a competent,creative and innovative government could use even 20 ministers to run the country efficiently.

This could be achieved by strengthening our institutions i.e. various ministries and departments in the country and also empower our local government system . The MCE and DCEs could be resourced and revamped to adequately carry out government business at the local level.

The huge number of ministers appointed by Nana Addo will simply waste our limited resources which could be used to reduce petrol prices, build more schools, hospitals and employ more graduate to alleviate poverty in the country.

For the sake of argument, if lets say we spend about one million dollars a year on each minister to pay for their salaries, allowances, per diem, Vehicles, petrol, utility bills, bungalow, security, cook etc. in a year, a whooping one hundred and ten million dollars $110m will be wasted on ministers who will do nothing but to trot around the country with entourage.

This amount of money we would waste on these ministers could be reduced to about twenty million dollars ($20 million dollars) and the rest could be used to build our huge infrastructure deficit President Mahama did his best to improve it and the economy NPP is claiming to be in a bad shape.

We also have found out that all the developed and succussful countries including UK, Canada, Germany have lean government thereby reducing waste and maximising efficiency. We are calling on the Akuffo-led government to be sensitive to the challenges facing our country and stop creating unnecessary ministerial positions for friends and family.

We are using this opportunity to call on all Ghanaians especially our opinion leaders, civil right organisations and religious bodies to be bold and call Nana Akkufo Addo's government to order to save our public purse.

God bless Ghana. Michael Frempong NDC UK & Ireland Communications officer.