Contrary to President Akufo-Addo’s pledge to “preserve, protect and defend the constitution” and to “do right to all manner of persons” regardless of their ethnic or religious background, appointments by the president so far indicates that he is far from sticking to his own pledge.
The aL-hAJJ’s analysis of appointments made by President Akufo-Addo in his first one hundred days in office revealed the president has skewed appointments in favor of some regions and religion while discriminating against others.
The President’s conduct is contrary to article 35(5) of the 1992 constitution which requires the state to “actively promote the integration of the people of Ghana and prohibit discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of place of origin, circumstances of birth, ethnic origin, gender or religion, creed or other beliefs” and 35(6) (b), “achieve reasonable regional and gender balance in recruitment and appointment to public offices”.
This development is not only a violation of the constitution but a breach of the President’s own assurance that he will govern the country in a manner devoid of malice, and without favor to anyone or group of persons whatsoever.
President Akufo-Addo made history this year when he appointed a record 110 ministers and deputies. This represents the highest number of Ministers and deputies appointed by any President in the history of Ghana.
He has also appointed substantial Heads of state institutions and has been reconstituting boards of state enterprises.
Though his predecessor presidents somehow adhered to the constitutional requirement of “fairly” regional balance with their “lean governments”, President Akufo-Addo, despite his “elephant size government”, has majority of his appointees coming from two out of the ten administrative regions of Ghana with some of his relatives, including his daughter, featuring prominent on the list of appointees.
Natives of Ashanti and Eastern regions constitute about seventy percent of President Akufo Addo’s appointments so far. Central, Brong Ahafo and Western regions, which are also “Akan regions” and contributed immensely towards the NPP’s 2016 victory, have less representation in the “elephant size” Akufo-Addo led-government.
In the erstwhile Mahama government, for instance, the Central region could boast of three important ministerial portfolios- Minister of Trade and Industry, Minister of Education and Minister of Foreign. However, in the Akufo-Addo government, the Central region has only a Minister of Transport and a Minister of State at the Ministry of Education.
Other regions like Volta, Greater Accra, Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions, which hitherto had about four or five Ministers under “lean governments”, now have less than three Ministers under a government that has appointed 110 Ministers and deputies, save Northern region which has four Ministers.
The Ashanti region leads the pack with 10 sector Ministers followed closely by Eastern region, 9 Ministers; Northern region 5; Greater Accra and Brong Ahafo regions have 3 Ministers each and Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western and Central regions have 2 sector Ministers each.
Though the President has made a record appointment of 60 deputy Ministers, Ashanti; Eastern and the three other Akan regions again dominate that list with a total of 47 deputies.
Out of the 110 Ministers and deputies, only 11 are Muslims. The breakdown is as follows-four sector Ministers, four deputy ministers, two regional Ministers and one deputy.
Even in parliament, the NPP leadership in the law making house is centered on the Akan regions of Ashanti and Brong Ahafo. First deputy Speaker and Bekwai MP, Joe Osei Owusu; Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu; deputy majority leader, Sarah Adwoa Safo and second deputy majority Chief whip, Moses Anim are all from the Ashanti region.
Hon Kwasi Ameyaw Kyeremeh, majority chief whip and Mathew Nyindam, first deputy majority chief whip, from Brong Ahafo and Northern regions respectively, constitute the NPP leadership in the Ghana parliament.
Aside the list of 110 Ministers and deputies, other appointees of Akufo Addo are also made up of the President’s relatives and clansmen among them, Mr Ken Ofori Atta, Kwesi Amoako Atta, Gloria Akuffo, Samuel Atta Kyea and Nana Asante Bediatuo among others.
This runs counter to a promise then Candidate Akufo Addo made on January 16, 2016 at an NPP fund raising ceremony in Kumasi; “I won’t operate a family and friends government in Ghana and I can assure that every person in the country will have his fair share of the national cake,” he pledged.
Meanwhile it was the NPP under the aegis of President Akufo Addo, then in opposition, that accused former President Mahama of running “family and friends” government even when there was no evidence of any of his (Mahama) relatives serving in his government.
Addressing a press conference in the heat of the 2016 election, Akufo Addo and NPP’s then Policy Advisor, now Minister of Energy, Mr Boakye Agyarko, said “even members of his [Mr Mahama’s] own party recognise that the president’s ‘Better Ghana Agenda’ has been for the benefit of only his family and friends.”
While many thought the president would “compensate” regions shortchanged in the ministerial appointments with appointments of CEOs and Board Members of State Institutions, the antithesis is the case.
Regions that dominated Ministerial appointments have again taken commanding lead in appointments made so far by President Akufo Addo to positions of Chief Executives and Board Members of para-statals. Close to 90 percent of Chief Executives of state enterprises, Board Chairmen and Members are Akans.
The recently reconstituted board of the Ghana Investment and Infrastructure Fund (GIIF), which serves as the pivot around infrastructural development in the country, for instance, has neither a Northerner nor Voltarian or Muslim as member. To be continued…
Sector Ministers – Akans
No Name Portfolio 1 Yaw Osafo Marfo Senior Minister 2 Albert Kan Dapaah National Security Minister 3 Alan Kyeremanten Minister of Trade and Industry 4 Ken Ofoti Atta Minister of Finance 5 Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto Minister of Agriculture 6 Boakye Agyarko Minister of Energy 7 Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng Minister of Environment, Science and Tech 8 Otiko Afisa Djaba Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection 9 Prof Kwesi Yankah Minister of State at the Ministry of Education 10 Kwaku Ofori Asiamah Minister of Transport 11 Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh Minister of Education 12 Kwaku Agyemang-Manu Minister of Health 13 Dr Anthony Akoto Osei Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation 14 Dan Kwaku Botwe Minister for Regional Re-organization 15 Ursula Owusu Ekufful Minister of Communications 16 Samuel Atta Kyea Minister for Works and Housing 17 Joe Nana Ghartey Minister for Railway Development 18 Ignatius Baffour Awuah Minister of Employment and Labor Relations 19 Prof Gyan Baffour Minister for Planning 20 Catherine Ablema Afeku Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture 21 Isaac Asiamah Minister for Youth and Sports 22 Cecilia Dapaah Minister for Aviation 23 Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu Minister for Parliamentary Affairs 24 Kwesi Amoako-Atta Minister for Roads and Highways 25 Bryn Acheampong Minister of State at the Office of the President 26 Sarah Adwoa Safo Minister of State in charge of Procurement
Sector Ministers – Three Northern regions
No Name Portfolio 1 Mustapha Abdul Hameed Minister of Information 2 Ibrahim Awal Mohammed Minister of Business Development 3 Nurah Gyeile Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture 4 Dominic Nitiwul Minister of Defense 5 Ambrose Dery Minister of Interior 7 Hajia Alima Mahama Minister of Local Government & Rural Dev’t 8 Joseph Kofi Ada Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources 9 Mavis Hawa Koomson Minister for Special Development Initiative 10 Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development
Sector Ministers – Volta
No Name Portfolio 1 Kofi Djameshi Minister of Chieftaincy 2 John Peter Amewu Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
Sector Ministers – GAR
No Name Portfolio 1 Gloria Akuffo Minister of Justice and Attorney General 2 Shirley Ayorkor Botchway Minister of Foreign Affairs 3 Naa Afoley Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture
Sector Ministers – Muslims
No Name Portfolio 1 Mustapha Abdul Hamid Minister of Information 2 Ibrahim Awal Mohammed Minister of Business Development 3 Hajia Alima Mahama Minister of Local Government & Rural Dev’t 4 Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development
Deputy Ministers -Akans
No Name Portfolio 1 Charles Adu Boahen Ministry of Finance 2 Kwaku Kwarteng Ministry of Finance 3 Abena Osei Asare Ministry of Finance 4 Owuraku Aidoo Ministry of Energy 5 Joseph Cudjoe Ministry of Energy 6 Osei Bonsu Amoah Ministry of Local Gov’t and Rural Development 7 Collins Ntim Ministry of Local Gov’t and Rural Development 18 Kwasi Boatneg Agyei Ministry of Local Gov’t and Rural Development 19 Kojo Oppong Nkrumah Ministry of Information 20 Ama Dokua Asiamah Agyei Ministry of Information 21 William Agyaping Quaitoo Ministry of Agriculture 22 George Oduro Ministry of Agriculture 23 Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah Ministry of Trade and Industry 24 Robert Ahomka Lindsey Ministry of Trade and Industry 25 Kwabena Owusu Aduomi Ministry of Roads and Highways 26 Benito Owusu Bio Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources 27 Barbara Oteng Gyasi Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources 28 Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum Ministry of Education 29 Barbara Ayisi Acher Ministry of Education 30 Godfred Yeboah Dame Ministry Justice and Attorney General 31 Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu Ministry of Health 32 Andy Appiah Kubi Ministry of Railway Development 33 Kwaku Agyenin Boateng Ministry of Railway Development 34 Charles Owiredu Ministry of Foreign Affairs 35 George Andah Ministry of Communications 36 Patrick Yaw Boamah Ministry of Water resources and Sanitation 37 Maj Derrick Oduro Ministry of Defense 38 Patricia Appiagyei Ministry of Environment, Science and Tech 39 Martin Agyei-Mensah Korsah Ministry of Regional Reorganization 40 Bright Wireko Brobbey Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare 41 Francis Kingsley Ato Cudjoe Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture 42 Kwabena Darkoh Mensah Ministry of Aviation 43 Paul Essien Ministry of Chieftaincy 44 Gifty Twum Ampofo Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection 45 William Kwasi Sabi Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation 46 Freda Prempeh Ministry of Works and Housing 47 Eugene Antwi Ministry of Works and Housing
Deputy Ministers – Three Northern regions
No Name Portfolio 1 Dr Mohammed Amin Anta Ministry of Energy 2 Sagre Bambangi Ministry of Agriculture 3 Joseph Dinkiok Kpemka Ministry Justice and Attorney General 4 Mohammed Habbib Tijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs 5 Dr Ziblim Iddi Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture 6 Anthony Karbo Roads and Highways
Deputy Ministers – Volta
No Name Portfolio 1 Perry Curtis Kwabla Okudzeto Ministry of Information 2 Michael Yaw Gyato Ministry of Water resources and Sanitation 3 Pius Enam Hadzide Ministry of Youth and Sports
Deputy Ministers – GAR
No Name Portfolio 1 Tina Mensah Ministry of Health 2 Vincent Sowah Odotei Ministry of Communications 3 Henry Quartey Ministry of Interior 4 Nii Kwartei Titus Glover Ministry of Transport
Deputy Ministers – Muslims
No Name Portfolio 1 Dr Mohammed Amin Anta Ministry of Energy 2 Sagre Bambangi Ministry of Agriculture 3 Mohammed Habbib Tijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs 4 Dr Ziblim Iddi Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture
Regional Ministers
No Name Portfolio 1 Dr Kwaku Afriyie Western Region 2 Eric Kwakye Darfour Eastern Region 3 Sulemana Alhassan Upper West Region 4 Rockson Bukari Upper East Region 5 Salifu Saeed Northern Region 6 Kwaku Asoma Cheremeh Brong Ahafo Region 7 Dr Archibald Letsa Volta Region 8 Simon Osei Mensah Ashanti Region 9 Kwamena Duncan Central Region 10 Ishmael Ashitey Greater Accra Region
Regional Ministers – Muslims
No Name Portfolio 1 Sulemana Alhassan Upper West Region 2 Salifu Saeed Northern Region
Deputy Regional Ministers -Akans
No Name Portfolio 1 Eugenia Gifty Kusi Western Region 2 Joseph Tetteh Eastern Region 3 Amidu Issahaku Upper West Region 4 Adongo Fusieni Upper East Region 5 Solomon Boar Northern Region 6 Evans Opoku Brong Ahafo Region 7 Maxwell Blagogee Volta Region 8 Elizabeth Agyemang Ashanti Region 9 Thomas Agyei Baffour Central Region 10 Elizabeth Sackey Greater Accra Region
Deputy Regional Ministers- Muslim
No Name Portfolio 1 Amidu Issahaku Upper West Region
Flag Staff House
No Name Portfolio 1 Frema Osei Opare Chief of Staff 2 Francis Asenso Boakye 1st deputy Chief of Staff 3 Abu Jinapor 2nd deputy Chief of Staff 4 Hassan Ahmed Director of State Protocol 5 Eugene Arhin Director of Communications at Flag Staff House 6 Fatimatu Abubakar Deputy Director of Communications -FSH 7 Saratu Atta Special Assistant to the President 8 Victor Newman Director of Research 9 Clara Napaga Sulemana Tia Presidential Staffer 10 Mercy Yvonne Debrah-Karikari Secretary to Cabinet
Heads of State Agencies
No Name Institution Position 1 Lawrence Agyinsam Ghana Export Import Bank Exim CEO 2 Stephen Amoah MASLOC CEO 3 Afia Akoto MASLOC Deputy CEO 4 John Kumah Youth Enterprise Support CEO 5 Yoofi Grant GIPC CEO 6 Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie Forestry Commission CEO 7 David Asante Apeatu Ghana Police Service IGP 8 Major General Obed Akwa Ghana Armed Forces Chief of Defense Staff 9 Joshua Kyeremeh National Security Nat. Security Coordinator 10 Brig Gen Emmanuel Okyere National Security National Security Advisor 11 Michael Okyere Baafi Ghana Free Zones Board CEO 12 Dr Wilfred Anim-Odame Lands Commission CEO 13 Kwesi Agyemang Busia DVLA CEO 14 Isaac Osei TOR CEO 15 Dr KK Sarpong GNPC CEO 16 James Coffie Ghana Post CEO 17 Samuel Boakye Appiah ECG CEO 18 John Dakyem Attafuah Ghana Airport Company MD 19 Kojo Odame Antwi Ghana Tourism Dev’t Com CEO 20 Samuel Annor NHIA CEO 21 Paul Asare Ansah GPHA CEO 22 Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh NADMO National Coordinator 23 Brig Gen Oppong Kyekyeku NADMO Board Chairman 24 Nana Boakye NSS Deputy CEO 25 Gifty Oware NSS Deputy CEO 26 Isaac Crentsil GRA (Customs Division) CEO 27 Kofi Nti GRA CEO 28 Joseph Boakye NCA CEO 29 Kwaku Sekyi Addo NCA Board Chairman 30 Prof Ken Agyemang Attafuah NIA CEO 31 Delese Mimi Darko FDA CEO 32 Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare Ghana Health Service DG 33 Dr Ben K. D Asante Ghana Gas Company CEO 34 Agyenim Boateng Agyei PPA CEO 35 Kofi Osei Ameyaw NLA DG 36 Yaw Amoakohene Baafi NLA Deputy DG 37 Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang SSNIT CEO 38 Kwame Asuah Takyi Ghana Immigration Service Controller General 39 Laud Ofori Affrifah Ghana Immigration Service Dep Controller General 40 Emmanuel Enos Passport Office Director 41 ASP KK Amoah EOCO Executive Director 42 Dr Nana Ato Arthur Local Gov’t Service Council Head
Heads of State Agencies – Northerners
No Name Institution Position 1 Emmanuel Asigri National Youth Authority Executive Director 2 Maj Gen William Azure Ayamdo Ghana Armed forces Chief Army Staff 2 Abu Ramadan NADMO Dep Nat’l Coordinator 3 Mustapha Ussif NSS CEO 5 Hassan Tampuri NPA CEO
Heads of State Agencies – GAR
No Name Institution Position 1 Ernest Addison Bank of Ghana Governor 2 Anselm Raymond Sowah GCB MD
MiDA Board
1 Prof Yaa Ntiamaoah Baidu Chairperson 2 Ken Ofori Atta Ministry of Finance 3 Alan Kyeremanten Ministry of Trade 4 Boakye Agyarko Ministry Energy 5 Gloria Akuffo Attorney General 6 Otiko Afisa Djabah Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection 7 Ibrahim Awal Mohammed Ministry of Business Development 8 Ing Owura Kwaku Sarfo CEO, MiDA 9 Dr Samuel Kobina DeSouza Private Enterprise Federation 10 Humphrey Ayim Dake Association of Ghana Industries 11 Rep from GAPVOD 12 Chairman of ECG Board 13 Chairman of NEDCO Board 14 Ms Deidra Fair-James Resident Country Director- Millennium Challenge Corp
BOARD OF COCOBOD
No. Name Position 1 Hackman Owusu Agyemang Board Chairman 2 Joseph Boahen Aidoo CEO 3 Nana Adwoa Dokua Member 4 Nana Johnson Mensah Member 5 Nana Obeng Akrofi Member 6 Peter Atta Boakye Member 7 Charles Aduboahen Member 8 Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah Member
SSNIT BOARD
No Name Position 1 Dr Kwame Addo Kuffuor Chairman 2 Abena Osei Asare Member 3 Alex Frimpong Member 4 Daniel Acheampong Member 5 Joshua Ansah Member 6 Prince William Ankrah Member 7 Mahamadu Assibi Azonko Member 8 David Acheampong Member 9 Benjamin Asumang Member 10 Dr John Ofori Member 11 Bernice Vib-Sanzir Member
Creative Arts Council
1 Mark Okraku Mantey 2 Gyankroma Akufo-Addo 4 Bibi Bright
TOR BOARD
No Name Position 1 Tongeaan K Nanlebegtang Chairman 2 Isaac Osei 3 Kofi Brako 4 John Boadu 5 Dr William Atuilik 6 Edith Sapara Grant 7 Leon Appenteng 8 Nene Amegatcher 9 Seth Achamfour Yeboah
GIIF BOARD
No Name Position 1 Prof Ameyaw Ekumfi Chairperson 2 Solomon Asamoah CEO 3 Tweneboakodua Fokuo Member 4 Kofi Boakye Member 5 Cecilia Gambrah Member 6 Agyenim Boateng Member 7 Yaw Odame Member 8 Nana Afua Ababio Member 9 Advisory Committee 10 Minister of Finance Chairperson 12 Governor of Bank of Ghana Member 13 Director Gen NDPC Member 14 Patience Akyianu Member 15 Dr Ernestina Fredua Anto Member
Source: The AL-hAJJ
