{"id":364688,"date":"2017-10-24T14:55:42","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T14:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=364688"},"modified":"2017-10-24T14:55:42","modified_gmt":"2017-10-24T14:55:42","slug":"of-zongo-development-the-ministry-and-the-fund-article","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/10\/of-zongo-development-the-ministry-and-the-fund-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Of Zongo development, the Ministry and the Fund [Article]"},"content":{"rendered":"
The 1992 Constitution allows every elected president of the country to appoint as many ministers as necessary to help him in the efficient running of the State. In fulfilment of this constitutional requirement, when the President of the Republic, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assumed office he appointed 110 persons for various ministerial positions including ten to head each of the regions.<\/p>\n
This exercise saw the retention of some ministries, the creation of new ones, and the scraping of others, as well as the merging of some into single ministries.<\/p>\n
Those pitching camp with the president did not see anything untoward about the 110 ministries. They consider the President\u2019s action as necessary for the attainment of the New Patriotic Party\u2019s campaign pledges. Thus, to that section of the political divide, it was a prudent decision on the part of His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.<\/p>\n
However, those opposed to the political persuasion of the president cried foul. They claimed that this number of ministers is the most bloated and unprecedented in the history of the country\u2019s democracy.<\/p>\n
Civil Society Organisations were not left unperturbed either. They too were drawn into the debate on the number of ministers, relevance or otherwise of certain ministries and how to safeguard the State\u2019s kitty.<\/p>\n
While some of them supported the president\u2019s move, others were sceptical, whereas certain sections avoided the controversy and took the middle course.<\/p>\n
However, the President, in his inaugural speech assured Ghanaians that he \u201cshall protect the public purse by insisting on value-for-money in all public transactions. Public service is just that \u2013 service and not an avenue for making money.\u00a0 Money is to be made in the private sector, not the public. Measures will be put in place to ensure this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over a certain period of time – after the President\u2019s appointment and Parliament\u2019s vetting and subsequent approval of the ministers – the media, most especially radio, was awash with the topic.<\/p>\n