Parliament has approved President Akufo-Addo’s nomination of nine Ministers of State, marking his first ministerial reshuffle since 2017. Key appointments include Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye as Minister of Health, Lydia Seyram Alhassan as Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, and Dakoa Newman as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection. Deputy Minister nominees were also approved.
Prior to the approval, the Minority in Parliament staged a walkout in protest of the nominations, citing the government’s mismanagement as the cause of current economic and power crises. Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson criticized the appointments, arguing that they are unnecessary amidst economic hardships and “dumsor” (power outages). He emphasized that increasing the number of ministers contradicts the government’s call for austerity measures.
The full list of ministerial and deputy ministerial nominees includes:Ministry of Health; Hon. Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; Ophelia Mensah Hayford, Ministry of Information; Ms. Fatimatu Abubakar, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Dakoa Newman; Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development; Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources; Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Hon. Andrew Egyapa Mercer, MP, Greater Accra Regional minister; Hon. Titus Glover, Oti Regional Minister; Mr. Daniel Machator.
Deputy ministerial nominees are Deputy ministers for information ;Sylvester Tetteh, MP, Deputy Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development; Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitalisation; Hon. Charles Acheampong; Deputy Minister for Health; Adelaide Ntim and MP Alexander Akwasi Acquah, Deputy Mindy for Works and Housing; Hon. Dr. Prince Hamid Armah; Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources; Akwasi Konadu, Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development; Hon. Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaba, Deputy Minister for Energy; John Kobina Sanie and Collins Adomako Mensah, Deputy Minister for Education; Kingsley Nyarko, Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations; Hon. Festus Awuah Kwofi, Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection; Hon. Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah.
