Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced a major cabinet reshuffle, removing several ministers from their posts, including Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Ofori-Atta, who had been in charge of the country’s finances since 2017, was widely criticized for his handling of the economy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He faced calls for his resignation from some members of his own party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who accused him of mismanaging public funds, increasing debt, and failing to deliver on key promises.
One of the NPP lawmakers who had demanded Ofori-Atta’s removal, Kwame Andy Appiah-Kubi, expressed his support for the president’s decision. Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3, Appiah-Kubi said that although the removal came late, it was better than never.
He added that the impact of Ofori-Atta’s removal would have been much greater if it had occurred at the time they made the call.
New Finance Minister Appointed
The president has appointed Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, a former Minister of State at the Ministry of Energy, as the new Finance Minister.
Dr. Adam, who holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, is expected to hit the ground running due to his familiarity with the ministry and the economic challenges facing the country.
Appiah-Kubi praised Dr. Adam’s credentials and said he was confident that he would bring a fresh perspective and youthful exuberance to the role.
He also clarified that Dr. Adam would not report to his predecessor if Ofori-Atta assumed the newly created position of Senior Presidential Advisor to President Akufo-Addo on matters relating to the economy. He said he had no issue with the creation of the new office as long as the current Finance Minister was not placed under it.
Other Ministers Affected
Besides Ofori-Atta, the president also removed several other ministers from their portfolios, including Kwaku Agyemang Manu (Health), Kwasi Amoako Attah (Roads and Highways), Dr. Kwaku Afriyie (Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation), Lariba Abudu (Gender, Children and Social Protection), Dan Botwe (Regional Reorganisation and Development), Freda Prempeh (Works and Housing), Ibrahim Mohammed Awal (Tourism, Arts, and Culture) and Joseph Makubu (North East Region).
Some of the removed ministers have been reassigned to different ministries, while others have been dropped altogether. The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, made the announcement regarding the ministerial reshuffle on February 14.
He said the president’s decision was based on his assessment of the performance of the ministers and the need to inject new energy and dynamism into his government. He also said the president thanked the outgoing ministers for their service and wished them well in their future endeavors.
A Hopeful Future
The cabinet reshuffle comes at a time when Ghana is facing economic and social challenges, such as high inflation, unemployment, poverty, corruption, and insecurity.
The president, who won a second term in the December 2020 elections, has pledged to deliver on his vision of building a prosperous and peaceful nation. He has also vowed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed over 1,000 lives and infected more than 100,000 people in the country.
The president has urged the citizens to support his new team of ministers and to cooperate with the government’s measures to contain the virus and revive the economy.
He has expressed optimism that Ghana will overcome its difficulties and emerge stronger and more resilient.
Source: Modern Ghana
