adverts
The minority leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on President John Mahama to reconsider his commitment to appointing no more than 60 ministers, suggesting that the president apologise to Ghanaians and increase the number of appointees to ensure effective governance.
During his campaign, President Mahama pledged to limit his ministerial appointments to 60 as a cost-saving measure and a demonstration of efficient governance.
However, Afenyo-Markin believes this restriction could hinder the government’s ability to address the complexities of governance and meet the needs of the public.
adverts
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, January 23, during a debate on the approval of ministerial nominees, Afenyo-Markin stated:
“When we make mistakes, let’s admit them and apologise. Sixty ministers will not help your political cause. If I were to advise Mr. President, I would say, Mr. President, you can apologise to Ghanaians and say, ‘Look, I underestimated the thing. I think I need to engage more ministers.’”
The minority leader expressed concerns over the efficiency of combining ministries, such as the Local Government and Chieftaincy Ministry, which he argued requires intensive oversight and conflict resolution.
According to Afenyo-Markin, merging ministries while maintaining the same number of civil servants would not result in significant cost savings but could instead create operational inefficiencies.
“People forget that when you merge two ministries, the staffers remain the same. All the civil servants who are there stay. One minister supervising everything will soon lead to things getting out of hand, and then corruption accusations will follow,” he cautioned.
Afenyo-Markin urged President Mahama to make pragmatic decisions, even if it means revising campaign promises.
He argued that the realities of governance often require flexibility and practical adjustments to meet the demands of a growing and complex society.
“Let’s boldly explain the intricacies of politics to the public instead of falling into the trap of unrealistic political commitments,” he added.
