Mahama axes Collins Dauda as cabinet Minister

President John Dramani Mahama has axed the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr Collins Dauda, as a cabinet Minister, a new list of cabinet ministers submitted to Parliament by the Presidency Tuesday revealed.

The Minister for Power, Dr Kwabena Donkor, will now replace Mr Collins Dauda as a cabinet Minister.

This is in line with Article 76(1) of the 1992 constitution, which mandates the President to appoint a minimum of ten and a maximum of nineteen Ministers to his Cabinet.

The said Article states: "There shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice-President and not less than ten and not more than nineteen Ministers of State".

President Mahama’s cabinet appeared to have increased to 20 with the creation of Ministry of Power out of Energy and Petroleum in late 2014, triggering criticism from the minority in Parliament.

There was debate in the public as to which of the Minister for Energy and Petroleum and the Minister for Power should be a cabinet Minister.

The President has now chosen to resolve the problem by dropping Mr Collins Dauda from his cabinet.