NPP 'footsoldiers' appeal to President Akufo-Addo to reshuffle appointees

Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to do a ministerial reshuffle to help inject what they describe as fresh energy in the administration.

In late June 2022, speculation was rife that the President was going to do a reshuffle on his return from the 15th Edition of the European Development Days (EDD) Forum in Brussels, Belgium and the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda, but that did not happen.

On Monday (August 1, 2022), a pressure group within the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy (AFFA), in a press statement appealed to President Akufo-Addo to reshuffle his ministers as a matter of urgency.

According to the group, the appeal was a passionate one to President Akufo-Addo to shake up his government and reshuffle his appointees (particularly non-performing Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives as well as some CEOs of some state institutions) to pave way for more competent and selfless hands to bring their expertise to bear on his administration.

The group, in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary, D.T. Adomako, said the ministers of state who have almost abandoned their ministerial duties to chase presidential dreams must either be forced to resign or be fired from the government.

The group said the ministers have been tolerated for far too long, and their continuous stay in office was distracting government business, adding that it was time to show them the exit, and give opportunity to those who are ready and prepared to serve in the interest of the party and the government.

“Inarguably, the NPP is known to have the men and women, and rightly so! It cannot be the case that we have suddenly run out of human resources such that we are compelled to maintain the same old crop of appointees for six years. Ghanaians expect much from us and we cannot fail them.  Mr. President, there is an urgent need for a shakeup in your government,” the group said.

The group, however, urged the President to listen to them and act immediately to make his government vibrant and proactive for ordinary Ghanaians to have confidence in the NPP administration.