It's better late than never to reshuffle.
After months of public pressure, President Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo made major changes to his Cabinet last night. These changes are expected to bring new perspectives, new skills, and increased effectiveness in government activities.
The government recently restructured its machinery, affecting approximately 21 ministers of state. These included Cabinet ministers, regional ministers, and the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta. Ofori-Atta has faced criticism from both protesters and Members of Parliament from both his party and the opposition, who are unhappy with his management of the country's economy.
Mohammed Amin Adam, a former Minister of State for Finance, replaces Ken Ofori-Atta, who will serve as Senior Presidential Advisor on the economy. Since President Akufo Addo took office for a second term in 2021, this is the biggest overhaul of his administration ever. The reshuffling of the ministers is seen as a strategic move aimed at optimizing the performance of key portfolios, ultimately driving progress and development in the country.
The shuffle doesn't stop because ministers don't do their job, but they might not be well placed in the department where they are assigned. Consequently, they may be assigned to other ministries based on their specific characteristics. The President rejected calls for an overhaul of his appointed officials in August 2022, saying he had no plans to do so. According to him, when he assessed his ministers, their performance was in line with expectations.
Though it has been widely expected, the change came late in the day with only ten months to go before parliamentary elections. Such people would benefit from an overhaul of public administration much earlier, which would bring new ideas and policy initiatives to stimulate growth and development. It is because ministers are often transferred so that they do not establish kingdoms in the various ministries.
Without prejudice to the fact that some ministers in a specific post are constantly at work, they do not have an opportunity to give their best effort. Indeed, a former national leader of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Freddy Blay, said it was too late to make this change. He claims that two years back, the President was supposed to make a reshuffle. He had to do a reshuffle two years ago or one year ago," he said.
It may be easier to blame President Akufo-Addo for not heeding the calls for a reshuffle much earlier when pleas for an overhaul of his government were made, but we would not know what informed the President to do it now. And we're giving him the benefit of the doubt for that. But it's better late than never, and we welcome the new ministers brought in to assist the President in the efficient and effective management of the affairs of the state.
In addition, to justify their confidence and trust, we at the Daily Graphic would call on new ministers, especially those who have been transferred, to show more courage, innovation as well as fresh ideas. Finding ways to create more jobs, fight poverty, and boost economic growth by reducing taxes and red tape will be the immediate challenge for our country as it faces many challenges.
The effectiveness of the new ministers has been called into question by many, suggesting that they may not have enough time to adjust and make a significant change. But, despite the small amount of time they have before the election in December, we think they can do it. They know there's no time for a honeymoon or champagne to be popped. We're a country thirsty for economic recovery, so this reshuffling is expected to be an indication of strategies.
