President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reshuffled his government, relieving finance minister and other key members of his administration of their duties with immediate effect.
In all, nine ministers have been replaced by either their deputies, or chief executive officers as some are moved to other ministries and nine deputies shown exit from the government.
It is the first major reshuffle of the President Akufo-Addo led government since he won the 2016 general election and his mandate renewed in 2020.
Coming some ten months to the 2024 general election, the Member of Parliament for Karaga, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, who until his new appointment was the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, will replace Ken Ofori-Atta as the Finance Minister.
A former Deputy Minister of Health and current Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, has been designated to the Ministry of Health to replace MP for Dormaa East, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, as Health Minister.
Roads and Highways Ministers, Kwesi Amoako-Atta, will be replaced by Bantama MP and outgoing Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso Boakye, who will be replaced by MP for Ofoase/Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who until the shake-up was the Minister of Information.
Dr Kwaku Afriyie, MP, SefwiWiawso, would be replaced by Mfantsiman MP, Ophelia Mensah Hayford, as Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, as Lariba Zuweira Abudu, the MP for Walewale, makes way for Darkoa Newman, MP, Okaikoi South, as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection designate.
Mr Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, MP, Techiman South, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, MP, Ayawaso West Wuogon, and Andrew Agyapa Mercer, MP, Sekondi, have been nominated ministers designate for Local Government, Rural Development and Decentralisation, Sanitation and Water Resources and Tourism, Arts and Culture respectively.
They replaced Dan Botwe, MP, Okere, Dr Freda Prempeh, MP, Tano North, and Ibrahim Mohammed Awal respectively.
A Deputy Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, has been elevated as Minister of Information designate with Ngleshie Amanfrom MP, Sylvester Tetteh, nominated to deputise her.
With the Minister for the Interior and MP for Nandom, Ambrose Dery, reassigned to the Office of the President as Minister of State, Greater Accra Regional Minister and MP for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey, heads to the Interior Ministry as Minister as he is replaced by a former MP for Tema East, Daniel Nii Kwatei Titus-Glover, as Greater Accra Regional Minister designate.
The Oti Regional Minister, Joseph Makubu, would be making way for Daniel Machator as Oti Regional Minister designate.
On the side of Deputy Ministers designate, MP for Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Charles Acheampong, MP, Lower West Akim, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, MP, Akim Oda, and Adelaide Ntim, Nsuta/Kwaman Beposo, have been nominated for the Ministries of Local Government, Communication and Digitalisation and Health respectively.
Representatives of the people of Kwesimintsim, Manhyia North and Mion, Dr Prince Hamidu Armah, Akwasi Konadu, and Musah Ayaba Abdul Aziz, have been nominated as deputies designate for the Ministries Works and Housing, Lands and Natural Resources and Fisheries and Aquaculture Development respectively.
Lawmakers for Mpohor and Afigya Kwabre North, John Kobina Sanie and Collins Adomako Mensah, have been nominated as Deputy Ministers designate for the Energy Ministry.
At the Education Ministry, Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, MP for Kwadaso, has been nominated a Deputy Minister designate with Festus Awuah Kwofie, MP, Upper Denkyira East and Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah nominated for the Ministries of Employment and Labour Relations and Gender, Children and Social Protection respectively as Deputy Ministers.
In a letter communicating the new nominations to the Speaker of Parliament in Accra yesterday, President Akufo-Addo prayed the legislature to expedite the vetting of the nominees for them to be drafted into the government.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI