President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo seeks to elevate four former deputy ministers who served in his first term to substantive ministers in his second term if Parliament approves his list of ministerial nominees.
Godfred Dame will serve as the Attorney General and Minister for Justice; Freda Prempeh will be heading to the Works and Housing Ministry as Minister of State to assist the substantive minister; Joseph Cudjoe will also be serving as the Public Enterprises Minister, a new creation; whilst Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum will be in charge of the Education Ministry.
Six of Akufo-Addo's former ministers will also be reassigned to different ministries.
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who previously headed the Ministry of Education and oversaw the implementation of the free Senior High School policy, is now the Minister-nominee for Energy.
Dan Botwe who was the former Minister for Regional Reorganisation and Development is now the Minister-nominee for Local Government, Decentralisation & Rural Development.
Sarah Adwoa Safo who was the former Minister for Procurement will head the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Dr. Kwaku Afriyie in the previous Akufo-Addo administration served as the Minister for the Western Region. He was subsequently moved to serve as the Minister of State in charge of all state-owned enterprises. But Akufo-Addo has now nominated Dr. Kwaku Afriyie to serve at the Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation Ministry.
The Energy Ministry in President Akufo-Addo’s first term was headed by John Peter Amewu. Mr. Awewu will now serve in the Railway Development Ministry.
Awal Mohammed who was the Minister for Business Development will now be in the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
The full list of ministerial nominees released from the presidency for the second term of Akufo-Addo’s administration was made on Thursday, 21 January 2021.
“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has submitted to Parliament for prior approval, through the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin…” a release from the presidency signed by Eugene Arhin, Acting Director of Communication said.
“President Akufo-Addo is hopeful that Parliament will see to the prompt approval of his nominees, so they can assist in the delivery of his mandate for his second term in office,” the release added.
Akufo-Addo aims at reducing the number of ministers to a maximum of 85, down by 41, from the 126 ministers in his first term.
Check out the full list of ministerial nominees for Akufo-Addo’s second term below: