I’ll Succeed at Zongo Ministry – Mustapha Hamid

The Immediate past Minister for Information, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has expressed happiness about his new Ministry, Inner City and Zongo Development and optimistic, he’ll succeed at his new Ministry.

Dr. Abdul-Hamid was swapped with his former Deputy Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah who is also the Member of Parliament for Ofoase/Ayirebi Constituency in the Eastern Region.

Expressing his excitements on the first day of assuming office as the Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, in an interview on Joy fm, the minister maintained that he considers the move by the President an honour taking into cognizance that service to the people is one of the biggest opportunities and honour that can be bestowed on anyone.

Touching on his priorities at the new portfolio, Dr Abdul-Hamid said the outgone minister, Boniface Abubekr Saddique has already done a lot of work in the sector in relation to Asawasi, Astroturf at Madina Zongo, Kyebi, Walewale, the drains, boreholes and rehabilitation of schools and so he is not starting on a “clean slate.”

He said structures has already been laid and there is a blueprint in place, unlike the Information Ministry which he had to start afresh because Former President John Mahama collapsed it in 2013 and put it under Communication.

“I agree I have to come with my own set of priority and vision and so on but its basically to improve on what he has done and my understanding is that the development fund, for now, is about some $20million or so with the possibility of scaling up,” he said.

Asked whether he has been demoted, Dr Abdul-Hamid response was, “Hahahaha, I have not…well it is not, we are all ministers, we all sit in Cabinet and so on, that hasn’t changed. If I had been taken out of the Cabinet perhaps, you could say I have been demoted but even most importantly, I have been given a higher calling in my view, because there is no better service than service to your people”.

“I am a Moslem and our scriptures tell us that, we have been created solely for the purpose of worship. In other words, the worship of the Almighty Allah, and therefore there is no better service to the Almighty Allah than service to a community that is largely inhabited by Moslems. Quite frankly, I am beside myself with excitement, I must tell you that,” Dr Abdul-Hamid said added.

Dr Abdul-Hamid explained that his in-depth knowledge in Islam and experience as a product of the Zongo Community makes him best suitable for the position.