Former journalist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Nana Jantuah has tagged “ridiculous, absurd and unacceptable” the huge number of ministers appointed by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
In a video gone viral on social media, Nana Jantuah said that the NPP is guilty of repeating the very same mistakes they criticized the outgone NDC for.
‘’ The same thing he critized Mahama for, is the same thing he is doing’’, ‘’110 ministers why, at this crucial time?’’ he said.
President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday nominated 50 deputies and 4 others to serve as Ministers of State at the presidency and ministries, bringing his total number of ministers to 110, the highest in the history of Ghana.
The President also took to twitter to assure Ghanaians that the big number is only a step towards the right direction. “We have a problem and what is the best way? It is better to have men and women capable of serving the nation’s interests and to work to grow the economy… If I succeed, you will soon find out the brouhaha is nothing compared to the success”, he said
Nana Jantuah read a statement in which NPP’s communications Director criticized President Mahama’s appointment of 89 ministers to serve under his government during his term in office, maintaining that at a time when the economy is down, President Akufo-Addo has designated 110 ministers to occupy several portfolios and using the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid to defend the cause saying the NPP never promised a lean government.
He also cited Fomer MP for Juabeng South, Dr. Osei Assibey who in 2013 also critized the NDC government. According to him, ‘’the size of the government was just too big, almost every major ministry had two deputies finance, land, agriculture, etc. He described the appointments as job for the boys, adding that Ex-President Mahama at the time, was seeking to satisfy everybody, thereby gradually showing that he was truly indecisive.
“He hasn’t even gotten the part of how to appoint these ministers he said, I will not be surprised if the counts gets to hundred, you are paying your ministers about 10,000 a month and your deputies about 9,000 a month, beside that you give them a land cruiser, a salon car, and now you have to give them a bungalow furnished, you have cooks, you have houseboy, you have police protection, free calls and the rest, he was cited to have said.
He has therefore called on President Akufo-Addo to shrink the numbers. Additionally, he urged all Ghanaians to rally behind the campaign to reject the appointments.