New minister of state, deputy ministers sworn into office

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged newly sworn-in deputy ministers to work with their ministers in all sincerity and transparency as a sure way to guarantee their individual successes and the collective achievement of the government.

 “Any deputy who thinks the route to advancement lies in his or her ability to subvert or undermine his or her minister will be sadly mistaken. You will not profit from that conduct in Akufo-Addo’s presidency. On the contrary, you are likely to forfeit your office,” he cautioned.

President Akufo-Addo gave the charge when he swore in a Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Charles Adu-Boahen, and 39 deputy ministers at an impressive ceremony at the Jubilee House.

Oaths

The Director of State Protocol, Mr Samuel Y. Kumah, read out the names of all the appointees, who got up, held out their Holy Bibles, Korans and crucifixes, while the President administered the Oath of Allegiance, the Oath of Office and the Oath of Secrecy to them.

They took turns to sign the Oath Book, which was sealed with the signature of the President.

That event signalled the completion of the composition of the members of the central government for President Akufo-Addo’s second term in office, made up of 31 ministers of state, 16 regional ministers and 39 deputy ministers.

Premise

President Akufo-Addo told the deputy ministers that loyalty to their ministers was a fundamental premise for the success of their work as deputy ministers, and that he would not countenance any acts of disloyalty and subversion, cautioning: “I will take such acts as disloyalty to me personally and, by inference, disloyalty to the state and the party.”

Integrity

He told them that another quality that should permeate their honesty and competence was integrity because “we are called to these public appointments to provide public service, not to promote our personal gain”.

He urged them to file their asset declarations promptly and remain above reproach in all their public dealings, saying: “Your conduct, my conduct, our collective conduct in the Executive will determine the fate and fortunes of our party, the NPP, in this and succeeding decades.”

Hard work

President Akufo-Addo said the deputy ministers had been chosen based on their educational and professional backgrounds, as well as their life experiences and character, and they should know that “an opportunity is being offered you to serve your country in an elevated capacity. Seize the opportunity with humility, but with determination, and perform, guided always by the Almighty God”.

He urged the newly sworn-in deputy ministers to join hands with the government and together build that dignified, self-reliant, prosperous Ghana that successive generations of Ghanaian patriots and the founders of the nation have sought with their blood, sweat and toil.

Parliament

He reminded them that the appointment of majority of them from the Legislature did not relieve them of their duties as members of the Legislature, and that they should learn how to balance effectively their twin responsibilities.

He said he was aware that it would be exacting but doable, saying they should remember the arrangements put in place for the conduct of parliamentary business.

President Akufo-Addo said there could be no excuse for neglecting their daily parliamentary obligations as MPs.

Ghana Cares

He said the government had, since last year, been steering the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic which had devastated economies around the world, leading to recession in Ghana.

He said to address the problem, the government had launched the GH¢100 billion Ghana Cares Obantanpa project, and that the objectives of the project demanded that they brought their A-game to the table to prosecute it.

Deputy ministers

Finance — Mr Abena Osei-Asare and Mr John Ampontuah Kumah; Trade and Industry — Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei, Mr Michael Okyere Baafi and Mr. Herbert Krapa; Energy — Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, Mr William Owuraku Aidoo and Mr Andrew Egyapa Mercer; Local Government, Decentralisation & Rural Development — Augustine Collins Ntim, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah and Mr Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah.

Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration — Mr Thomas Mbomba and Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong; Office of Attorney-General & Ministry of Justice — Mr. Alfred Tuah-Yeboah and Ms Diana Asonaba Dapaah; Food & Agriculture — Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo and Mohammed Hardi Tuferu; Education — Rev. John Ntim Fordjour and Ms Gifty Twum-Ampofo.

Health — Tina Gifty Mensah and Ms Mahama Asei Seini; Lands and Natural Resources — Benito Owusu Bio and Mr George Mireku Duker; Roads and Highways — Mavis Nkansah-Boadu and Mr Stephen Pambin Jalulah; Transport — Mr Hassan Tampuli and Mr Frederick Obeng Adom, and Defence — Kofi Amankwah-Manu.

The Interior — Naana Eyiah Quansah; Communications and Digitilisation — Ama Pomaa Boateng; Works and Housing — Abdulai Abanga; Fisheries and Aquaculture Development — Moses Anim; Railway Development — Kwaku Asante-Boateng; Sanitation and Water Resources — Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, and Tourism, Arts and Culture — Mr Mark Okraku Mantey.

Gender, Children and Social Protection — Lariba Zuweira Abudu; Employment and Social Protection — Mr Bright Wireko-Brobbey; Information — Ms Fatimatu Abubakar, and Youth and Sports — Evans Opoku Bobie.