Due to the hang nature of Parliament after the 2020 general elections, it wasn’t business as usual for the vetting and approval of Ministers in 2021.
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Pulse Picks: 4 best Ghanaian Ministers of 2021
The ‘chaos’ that characterized the nominations and eventual approval of some ministers to start President Akufo-Addo’s second term was unprecedented.
4 best Ghanaian Ministers of 2021
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The opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers initially opposed some of the nominees of the president due to their performances and actions in the past. However, due to tough negotiations, a consensus was agreed for all the ministers to be approved.
Despite these earlier shenanigans by the opposition in the approval process, some Ministers have distinguished themselves in the first year of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s second term.
Below are four (4) of these Ministers that have excelled in their various portfolios in 2021 and oh they are in no particular order.
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1 . Dr. Yaw Adutwum: The elevation of Dr. Yaw Adutwum has a Deputy Minister of Education in President Akufo-Addo’s first term to a substantive Minister of Education in his second term is not surprising to many.
This is due to the fact that he is credited with spearheading government’s innovative double track system which has helped to contain the large numbers in the flagship ‘Free SHS’ policy.
Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum
Pulse Ghana
Under his guidance, the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana National Association of Teachers have this year initiated a policy of distributing laptops to all teachers across the country.
In a statement on the policy, the GES said: "the supply of the Teacher Mate 1 laptops was an initiative of the Teacher Unions (GNAT NAGRAT, CCT) to procure for all teachers at the pre-tertiary level to enhance the delivery of quality education in terms of planning, research, teaching and reporting".
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The total cost of the TM1 laptop per one, according to the GES is Ghs1, 831.47.
Government has absorbed Ghs1,282.30 whiles the teacher pays Ghs549.44.
2 . Dan Botwe: The Member of Parliament for Okere is well known for his knowledge and expertise in Ghana’s local governance structure. It was therefore a surprise when President Nana Akufo-Addo chose him to be the Minister of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development.
His tenure started with the nomination of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCES) across the country for the President’s second term. This exercise has over the years been one of the most difficult appointments by any government in the Fourth Republic.
Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Botwe
Pulse Ghana
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It has often characterized by chaos from the nomination to the approval stage. Though there were a few agitations in some districts about the choice of the President, the whole exercise was a successful one and Hon. Dan Botwe’s direction cannot be underestimated in it.
3 . Henry Quartey: For a large section of Ghanaians, the Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey has been one of the most distinguished appointees in the first year of President Akufo-Addo’s second term.
He immediately hit the ground running after his approval to rid the city of Accra from filth and illegal structures as part of his ‘Make Accra work’ agenda.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Honourable Henry Quartey
Pulse Ghana
As part of the “Making Accra work” agenda, some containers located along waterways and drains have been pulled down by the sanitation task force officers.
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One of his popular works so far has been the clearance of the Agbogbloshie area of squatters and traders. After several attempts to get them relocated in the past two decades, the move finally happened in July.
Earlier, the police fired tear gas and warning shots to disperse a rioting group of scrap dealers who were opposing the relocation exercise.
The Regional Security Council in Accra said it has sanctioned a joint police and military taskforce to be stationed at Agbogbloshie market for the next seven days as it relocates onion sellers from their current spot to Adjen Kotoku.
The decongestion of the market is part of the Minister’s ‘Let’s Make Accra Work’ agenda.
4 . Abu Jinapor: Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor has been one of the enterprising faces of President Akufo-Addo’s second term.
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After his nomination and confirmation as Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Jinapor commenced a reinvigorated campaign to rid Ghana of the galamsey menace.
Abu Jinapor
Pulse Ghana
He served notice that no one will be spared in President Akufo-Addo’s quest to ensure all river bodies and forests are not destroyed by irresponsible mining.
He said the Akufo-Addo government had drawn some key important lessons from its first fight against galamsey and is willing to rather promote a regulated small scale mining contrarily to views being held that government is against small scale mining
“President Akufo-Addo and his government are not against mining in Ghana neither are we against small scale mining, in-fact on the contrary, we want to promote small scale mining and we want to do so on a regulated basis and a responsible manner that does not compromise the river bodies and the environment” he emphasized.
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