International Diplomatic Expert and Investment Consultant, Farouk Al-Wahab, has expressed that, the portfolio of the Ministers of State should be scrapped as it is just a category of holding titles while financially burdening the citizenry.
According to him, these positions should rather be transformed into director positions in the various ministries.
He shared these thoughts in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show when he stated: “I disagree with the portfolio of Minister of State. No one knows about Ministers of State and what they do but what we know is the substantive Minister and deputies of the various ministries.
The Minister of State is just a title. We are just trying to give them something to hold on to. It is just the Minister and his Deputy who know what is going on and do the real work”.
“If you believe in them and their competencies, make them directors in those ministries and not Ministers of State who end up at the presidency. What is important is getting the job done and making the sector develop. We need to see the change desired and not be creating a different portfolio for ministers of state which is sad”, he added.
The 1992 Constitution of Ghana states that “Ministers of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as members of Parliament, except that the majority of Ministers of State shall be appointed from among members of Parliament”.
“The President shall appoint such number of Ministers of State as may be necessary for the efficient running of the State”, it adds.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has submitted to Parliament for approval, a list of names for ministerial appointments.
In a communique from the Office of the President, it has been indicated that the President’s appointments will not exceed eighty-five ministers. The list presented to Parliament includes the names of forty-six (46) persons for the ministerial roles for the next four years.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
