The Minority Caucus in Parliament has demanded that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo merge some ministries and reduce the number of presidential staffers immediately.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Minority Leader, said in a media address on Monday, February 20, that with the current economic crisis, it is untenable for the president to appoint more ministers, burdening the already stressed public purse.
The Minority Leader demands the Chieftaincy Ministry and the Tourism Ministry be combined with the Ministries of Food and Agriculture and Fisheries. The Sanitation and Local Government Ministries should be merged, according to the Minority, in order to help shrink the size of the government.
The Minority caucus also wants the Information and Communication ministries to be merged and the Transport and Railways ministries also merged.
The Minority Caucus has also given notice that they will participate in the vetting on Monday but will oppose the nominations of all candidates.
“We in the Minority wish to make it clear that we remain committed to ensuring greater scrutiny and will spare no effort to protect the public purse. In line with this, we are taking part in the vetting process so that at the very minimum, we can scrutinize the President’s decision in bringing up those nominees. However, the Minority will not subscribe to a consensus vote at the level of the Appointments Committee.”
The Minority is also demanding the “immediate scrapping of all amorphous creations and waste-pipe, job-for-the-boys’ appointments since the assumption of office of President Akufo Addo in 2017. The work of those undefined, amorphous creations must revert to established civil and public service entities that perform similar, if not the same, functions.”
The group also reiterated its demand for the dismissal of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, whose egregious economic management failures have become legendary.
“The President must spare Ghanaians the agony of waking up tomorrow to see Ken Ofori-Atta still in charge of the economy.”
