The Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide responded to critics of the 123 ministerial appointments, justifying the move as critical to the effective execution of the dire national challenges.
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The government has once again justified the appointment of 123 ministers serving in the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide
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His reactions come after the policy think thank, Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana urged the government to review some of its expenditures in the face of a shortfall in domestic revenue.
The Director of ISSER, Professor Peter Quartey, stressed that the time had come for the government to prioritise domestic revenue mobilisation and be disciplined in expenditure to firm up the hope of a robust economy.
But the Deputy Information Minister said the 123 ministers and deputies are needed to assist the President to pursue an ambitious development agenda.
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"If you have a President who is desirous to lift the country out of the conundrum in a quick manner, he has to set some targeted interventions and put people he can hold directly responsible [in strategic positions]. If you check the Transport Ministry, it has historically become one omnibus ministry with the vision and intervention of President Akufo-Addo. There is no doubt that the kind of work done in the rail sector, is unprecedented in our history. If you check the developments that are happening, the list can go on and on.
"With the things that are happening in the aviation sector, we have been able to achieve things much quicker. If we wanted to see the things we are seeing in the rail and aviation sectors within two to three years, then it makes sense that we put people in specific sectors so that they can deliver within the time frame," Hadzide said on Accra-based Citi FM.
Ministers serving under Nana Addo
The number of ministers serving under the Nana Addo has jumped from 110 to 123 ministers.
This follows the appointment ministers and deputy ministers to the six newly created regions.
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13 more names were added as ministers-designate and deputy ministers-designates for the new regions.
The current administration now has 35 ministers more than its predecessor led by John Mahama which had 88 ministers.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) then in opposition, criticised the number of persons serving as ministers in the Mahama government.
They argued that the number could be reduced to 20 if the NDC administration was bold about cutting down spending and saving the national purse.
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