President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has under taken a major ministerial reshuffle 10 months to the 2024 general elections.
The reshuffle is the first of its kind since President Akufo-Addo assumed office in 2017 and his re-election in 2020 as the president of Ghana.
In a release from the presidency on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, the President has sacked the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta and the Health minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu.
Other major ministers who have been relieved of their duties as ministers included the minister of interior, Ambrose Dery, information minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, minister for environment, science, technology and innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, local government minister, Dan Botwe among others.
In the category of regional ministers, ministers for the Greater Accra and Oti regions have also been sacked.
Full list of sacked Ministers and Deputy Ministers below.
While thanking the affected ministers and deputy ministers for their contribution to national development in portfolios they served, the president reassigned some others to different ministries and appointed new faces to take up ministerial positions.
The new appointments are, however, subject to parliamentary approval in accordance articles 78, 79 and 256.
Find full list of newly appointed Ministers and Deputy Ministers as well as Reshuffled Ministers and Deputy Ministers below.
While the new move by the President has been welcomed by some members of the public but they think it is not timely enough.
Reacting to the reshuffle by the government in an interview 3FM’s Midday News, governance expert, Professor Baffour Agyeman Duah said that the reshuffle has come too little, too late.
“Certainly, I’m sure everybody is going say this reshuffle has come too late and in fact too little also. You see there was a time that whole nation was ready for a change and yet the President was a bit impervious to public sentiments and therefore was not responsive to that.
“We have barely ten months to go for the end of the govt……so those who have just been appointed…., I’m not sure that they have time to think and renovate or innovate….I don’t think it would make any positive impact,” Prof Agyeman Duah said.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has also described the reshuffle as ‘injury time remix’.
According to them, “This is a mere remix of the Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia’s failed government. This injury time remix is insipid and uninspiring.”
This was contained in a press release dated February 14 and signed by the Minority Leader, Casiel Ato Forson.
“It is also too little too late, coming barely nine (9) months to the exit of the government. Neither will it solve the suffering and hardships confronting the people of Ghana as a result of the bad governance and massive uncontrolled corruption of the Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia’s government.
But for the ruling New Patriotic Party, the shakeup in government is a bold decision by the president.
“The leadership is pleased to express gratitude and appreciation to the President for his decisive government reshuffle, which includes the appointment of new Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Ministers, and Deputy Ministers.”
“The decision to reshuffle underscores the President’s commitment to fostering progress and revitalizing our administration. The NPP continues to express profound appreciation for the dedication and service of those departing from their roles, urging them to continue supporting the government and the party in our collective pursuit of national development,” Frimpong Kodua, the NPP General Secretary stated.
But for the ordinary Ghanaians, they are hopeful that the new changes reflects and improves their socio-economic conditions.