General News of Thursday, 12 January 2017

Source: asempanews.com

Reduce your ministers to save tax-payers money – Kojo Yankah to Akufo-Addo

Prof. Kojo Yankah, Founder and former President of AUCC Prof. Kojo Yankah, Founder and former President of AUCC

Founder and former President of the African University College of Communications (AUCC), Prof. Kojo Yankah is calling on President Akufo-Addo to downsize the number of his Cabinet Ministers to save the Ghanaian tax-payers and the nation’s kitty.

Prof. Yankah, who is clearly not happy about the President’s move of creating new ministries believes, NPP government can still meet its manifesto promises to the people of Ghana by simply appointing one minister to oversee two sectors.

The former Minister of State, few munities after Akufo-Addo released list of second batch of his ministers took to his Facebook page to share his idea that government could have created two deputy ministers in each ministry to oversee the various sectors.

“Dear President Akuffo-Addo, is it possible to reduce your Cabinet to save the tax-payer some money, noting that every Ministry carries a huge bureaucracy? I believe you can still meet your manifesto pledges by asking Minister of Local Government to handle creation of more regions; Minister of Health to handle Sanitation; Senior Minister's office to handle Monitoring & Evaluation; Transport to combine Railways Development. And then maybe create two deputies in each Ministry to oversee the various sectors? Only an idea,” Prof Yankah posted.

Akufo-Addo’s new list of appointment has seen the creation of two new ministries - The Ministry of Regional Re-organisation and Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation to be headed by Dan Kwaku Botwe and Dr. Akoto Osei respectively.

Explaining the rationale behind, the creation of the ministry, the president said the Ministry of Regional Re-organisation will supervise the creation of new regions as promised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) while the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation will ensure that the work of government is efficient, effective, and timeous.

See below the full list of the second batch of ministers-designate:

(1) Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation - Hon. Dr Anthony Osei Akoto

(2) Minister for Regional Re-organisation - Hon. Dan Kwaku Botwe

(3) Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation: Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng

(4) Minister for Lands and Natural Resources - John Peter Amewu

(5) Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection - Otiko Afisa Djaba

(6) Minister for Employment and Labour Relations: Hon Ignatius Baffuor Awuah

(7) Minister for Transport - Kwaku Ofori Asiamah

(8) Minister for Railways Development - Hon. Joe Nana Ghartey

(9) Minister for Roads and Highways – Kwesi Amoako Arthur

(10) Minister for Communication - Hon. Ursula Owusu

(11) Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources – Joseph Kofi Ada

(12) Minister for Works and Housing - Hon Samuel Atta Kyea