The Ministers taking their oath of office
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday sworn into office 16 Regional Ministers, urging them to work hard and help in fulfilling the promises the New Patriotic Party made to Ghanaians.
In his address to the newly appointed Regional Ministers, President Akufo-Addo said their appointments were well-deserved, expressing the hope that they would discharge their duties to the satisfaction of Ghanaians.
The President commended the Speaker of Parliament as well as the Chairman and members of the Appointments Committee for the expeditious manner in which they vetted and approved the nominees.
“Parliament continues to manifest its determination to engage positively with the Executive to promote the good governance of our nation. I thank the House for that,” the President stated.
Oaths
Reminding the appointees of the oaths they had taken, the President said they had sworn to uphold the interest of Ghana, of its constitution and its citizenry, as well as promote general wellbeing of the people in their respective regions.
Marking reference to the Article in the Constitution which outlines their responsibilities, President Akufo-Addo said: “You represent the President in the region, and you are responsible for the coordination and direction of the government’s administrative machinery in the region.”
No deputies
With his decision not to appoint Deputy Regional Ministers, President Akufo-Addo said Regional Ministers have to “shoulder the work” all by themselves, a task he believes they are capable of executing.
He further reminded them of the fact that, as Chairpersons of the various Regional Security Councils, they have regular and direct impact on the people in their respective regions.
The President particularly tasked them to ensure effective maintenance of peace, law and order, saying these must always be seen as priorities.
“All our plans and programmes will come to nought if we have no peace. You must be careful and tactful in managing issues of intelligence and security,” he said
“The region will continue to be the focus of our drive towards modernising agriculture to improving production and achieving food security,” he added.
He finally urged them to acquaint themselves with the relevant laws, and work together with their Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to promote the government’s development agenda at the local level.
Unanimous approval
The Ministers who were sworn into office are Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti; Henry Quartey, Greater Accra; George Boakye, Ahafo; Justina Owusu-Banahene, Bono; Adu Gyan, Bono East; Justina Marigold Assan, Central; Seth Acheampong, Eastern; Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern; Yidani Zakaria, North East; Joseph Makubu, Oti; Saeed Muhazu Jibril; Stephen Yakubu, Upper East; Richard Obeng, Western North; Hafiz Bin Salih, Upper West; Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, Western; and Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta.
Parliament had earlier unanimously approved the nomination of all the regional ministers-designate.
The nominees were approved by consensus after the Appointments Committee submitted its third report on the 16 regional nominees who had been vetted by the committee and recommended for approval.
This completes the prior approval constitutional processes required for all the President’s ministerial nominees.
About The Author
