Gov’t defends decision to Reassign Boniface

The Akufo-Addo led government has defended its decision to create an additional ministerial portfolio despite public outcry over the number of ministers to an unprecedented 111 in the latest reshuffle.

Speaking after the new list of ministerial reshuffle hit the media, Deputy Chief of Staff Samuel Abu Jinapor justified the increase, insisting that the new portfolio created in the office of the Vice President is because Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia needs extra help in executing his duties.

The Minister of State at the Office of the Vice President, a position former Minister of Inner Cities and Zongo Development, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique currently occupies, a first in the political history of Ghana, has raised some eyebrows among Ghanaians.

However, Mr. Jinapor indicated that the position was created to unburden the Vice President from tasking roles to individuals in order for him to achieve his goals.

He asserted; “The Vice President’s hands are completely full so he’s going to assist the Vice President in executing and achieving all the noble by tasking roles which the Vice President assigned on a day to day basis.”

Below is the full list of the reshuffled Ministers:

1. John Peter Amewu – Energy (Former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources);

2. Kweku Asoma-Cheremeh – Lands and Natural Resources (Former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister);

3. Kofi Adda – Aviation (Former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources);

4. Cecilia Abena Dapaah – Sanitation and Water Resources (Former Aviation Minister);

5. Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid – Minister of Inner City and Zongo Development (Former Information Minister);

6. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah – Information (Former Deputy Minister of Information);

7. Cynthia Morrison – Gender, Child and Social Protection;

8. Paulina Tangoba Abayage – Upper East Regional Minister (Former Ambassador to Italy);

9. Evans Opoku Bobie, Member of Parliament for Asunafo North Constituency and former deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, is now Brong Ahafo Regional Minister-designate;

10. Martin Oti Gyarko, Member of Parliament for Techiman North Constituency, is now Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister-designate;

11. Boniface Abubakar Saddique, Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency and former Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, is now Minister of State at the Office of the Vice-President;

12. Rockson Bukari, former Upper East Regional Minister, is now Minister of State at the Office of the President;

13. Pius Enam Hadzide, former deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, is now Deputy Minister of Information;

14. Perry Curtis Okudzeto, former deputy Minister of Information, is now Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports; and

15. Otiko Afisa Djaba, former Minister of Gender, Child and Social Protection, is now Ambassador-designate to Italy