AUDIO: President Mahama Justifies Exclusion of Information Ministry

President John Dramani Mahama has explained the decision to exclude the Ministry of Information from the lineup of 23 ministries in his administration, describing it as a strategic measure to streamline government operations and enhance efficiency in communication.

The move, which has sparked questions from groups like the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), is part of the President’s commitment to downsizing government while maintaining effective governance.

Addressing the media at a press engagement, President Mahama highlighted the importance of reducing redundancies while ensuring the seamless flow of government communication.

“With regards to government communications, you’ll notice that there’s no Information Ministry in the lineup of 23 ministries we recently announced. That was partly in response to our promise to downsize government,” he stated.

To manage government communication effectively, President Mahama announced the creation of a new role: Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, based directly at the presidency.

“We had to be very strategic with how we dealt with the flow of information from the government because that’s critical to the success of whatever we intend to do. That’s why we brought information into the presidency, with a minister of state in charge of government communications, and anchored it with a string of strong communications professionals in the most critical sectors,” he explained.

In addition, President Mahama outlined plans to modernise the Information Services Department (ISD), transitioning it from its traditional role as a civil service organisation into a dynamic arm under the presidency.

The ISD’s revamped structure aims to improve its capacity to deliver consistent, accurate, and timely updates on government initiatives and policies to the public, ensuring transparency and accountability.

This strategic shift, according to the President, reflects his administration’s focus on innovative governance solutions and cost-effective communication strategies.