Governance Think-Tank, Centre for Greater Impact Africa (CGIA) has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to evaluate, and reshuffle his ministers to ensure his vision for the country is achieved without any hindrance.
The government must reshuffle the minister before July “as doing so beyond mid-year will be a disaster, a situation which would create a seeming stale government,” the Reverend Dr. Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, Executive Director for the Governance Think-Tank has stated.
Speaking on behalf of the Centre at the Ghana News Agency Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform on the topic: “the necessity for a reshuffle,” Rev. Dr. Mensah stressed the President must take the bold step to introduce newer men and women of integrity with the zeal to hit the ground running into the government.
Rev. Dr. Mensah who is also an economist said a feasibility study conducted by the Centre revealed that some of the Ministers were performing below standard and therefore was working against the interest of the government.
The Economist said “Reshuffles are an opportunity to promote high-performing ministers by moving them into positions of greater responsibility, and to remove those not doing well in an attempt to improve performance.
“Moving ministers around can be a way of indicating a government’s priorities,” adding new ministerial roles or changing which ministers can attend cabinet during a reshuffle is another way of doing this, as is making changes to the responsibilities of government departments.
He said President Akufo-Addo have a good vision for the country but some of the ministers were not working hand-in-hand with the administration derailing the good works of the government.
According to him, only a few of the ministers were able to carry out the intentions of the government adding that, most of them see their portfolios as a reward for their contribution to the party winning power, and are therefore working in their personal interest rather than that of the state.
Rev. Dr. Mensah noted that the appointment, movement, and dismissal of ministers is an important part of governance that ensures that the wheel of the government keeps moving at the required speed.
He said, “Reshuffle also ensures that Government appointees are always on the alert knowing that there is a big eye upward looking at their operations, but the lack of it gives a bad signal to the appointees, who then begins to sleep on the job.”
Rev. Dr Mensah said some of the government’s appointees including Ministers, Head of Public bodies and others are sleeping on the job, “almost 15 months through the second term of President Akufo-Addo there are enough grounds for a reshuffle”.
In a related development Rev. Dr. Mensah has revealed that, fighting corruption as a country would continue to be very difficult “as the geo-political system seems to breed it”.
He said under the fourth republic various governments have attempted to help fight corruption but “we have achieved virtually nothing, corruption continuous to affect every facet of life”.
The Economist noted that even the internal political process for selection of executives, Parliamentary Candidates, Presidential Candidates have all been loaded with “alleged financial influence”.
He further stated that “if we want to fight corruption, we must change the way political positions are contested for; I believe that there are various political parties positions that should be occupied through appointment rather than elections”.
Rev Dr Mensah said democracy was not only about elections but all about building consensus therefore “if the citizens believe and have confidence in an individual to perform a particular task, they should come together and agree to appoint that person, and not always through elections”.
He noted that, “it’s not only about sitting on radio and television to debate about corruption but to look at the root causes. It calls for exemplary leadership and an all hands on deck approach.”
