... Ineffective Minister + Many Deputies = Effective Leadership
Accra, March 14, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday said appointment of more Deputy Ministers to some Ministries was to ensure effective and efficient performance of the leadership in the Executive.

He said in some Ministries, a Minister at the helm of affairs, would not be very effective but with more politicians appointed it would ensure effective leadership and the civil servants would be more prudent with the implementation of Government's policies and programmes.

President Kufuor made the observation when he swore into office 12 Deputy Ministers of State at the Castle, Osu.

He administered the oaths of allegiance, office, secrecy and presented the Instruments of Appointment to Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Deputy Minister of Health.

The rest were, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (Rtd), Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Madam Theresa Ameley Tagoe, Deputy Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines and Mr Issah Ketekewu, Deputy Minister for Works and Housing.
The others were, two Deputy Ministers of Trade and Industry, Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw and Mrs Gifty Ohene-Konadu, and two Deputy Regional Ministers, Miss Gloria Afua Akuffo for Greater Accra and Mr Joseph Kwaku Nayan for Volta.
President Kufuor said the Executive performed through the politician and the Civil Servant who must work together at the various Ministries to formulate and implement Government's policies and programmes.
"While the politician works at a particular Ministry for a brief period, the Civil Servant works there permanently until he/she leaves the Ministry or retires," he added.
President Kufuor said this perception must not be allowed to influence the Civil Servant to ignore the loyalty and commitment to the politician because the Civil Service had been well organised to assist the Executive to realise its vision and mandate to the people who elected the Government into power.
"The Civil Service is anonymous and faceless but an important machinery that the politician must harness to deliver its vision and promises to the people but in the past the performance of the Civil Service had been over-politicised and led to crisis."
"This must be reviewed for the Civil Service to render the needed services to the Government to deliver and realise its vision to the people, " he added.
President Kufuor said the Government was delivering on its promises and vision to the people therefore, Deputy Ministers must be loyal to the work assigned to them and put their ideas and experiences at the disposal of the Ministers and Ministries to perform efficiently and effectively.
"Without the Civil Servants, the Minister cannot perform well. You should make sure they appreciate their role to support you. They are not in competition with you (the politician) they are there on permanent basis but to serve the politician and Government to achieve its vision and promise", he added.
He said, "respect them to enable them help you to deliver". Madam Theresa Tagoe on behalf of her colleagues pledged to work hard and improve on their performance for the success of the second mandate of the Government.
Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama was present at the ceremony.