A Governance Expert Dr Eric Oduro Osae has extolled President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for reducing the number of his ministers from 120 in his first government, to 85 in his second administration.

Although he said, the President could have reduced further to about 80, the new number of appointees is good.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a statement signed on his behalf by the Acting Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin on Thursday, January 21 said the number of ministers he intends to work with will not exceed eighty-five (85).

This is down from the 120 ministers who served in his previous administration.

He has accordingly, submitted a list of ministerial nominees to parliament for approval.

Speaking on this development in an interview with TV3’s Dela Michel on the Mid Day news on Friday, January 22, Dr Oduro Osae said “It is good he is reducing to about 85 but, I would have wished that he even reduced it further to about 80. But that notwithstanding, with the 85 it is a very good reduction.”

He added “I have also noticed that he is not appointing Deputy Regional ministers, I applaud him for that. Because the position of a deputy regional minister is gradually becoming irrelevant in our governance architecture.”

A Professor at the University of Ghana Professor Ransford Gyampo has also said the new number of ministers is still huge.

Commenting on the appointment in an article, Professor Gyampo said “In terms of size of government, an optimum size of 40 would have been felt by all as a drastic response. But it is rumoured that the size of government in the next administration is likely to hover around 85."

“This to my mind is still big. President J.A. Kuffour vehemently criticized President Jerry Rawlings for appointing 82 Ministers in the lead up to the 2000 elections. But when he (Kufuor) became President, he appointed 88 ministers. President Atta Mills downsized the government to 75 Ministers and we still criticized him. President John Mahama increased the size of government to over 90 Ministers (including his three or five wise men) and we used this as a campaign tool against him."

“President Akufo Addo ballooned the size to over 120 ministers and maintained this number in spite of several calls for downsizing.”