A former Chief of Staff under the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Kwadwo Mpiani, has raised concerns about the timing of President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial reshuffling with barely ten months to a general election.
Speaking on JoyNews‘ PM Express, Mr Mpiani expressed reservations, noting that while the President has the prerogative to make such changes, the proximity to the upcoming elections raises questions about the effectiveness and impact of the reshuffle.
Mr Mpiani, who served in a key role during the Kufuor administration, acknowledged that the decision to reshuffle the cabinet rests with the President based on his assessment of the ministers’ performance. However, he questioned the appropriateness of implementing such changes barely ten months ahead of the general elections.
“I don’t have a reaction to the ministerial reshuffle because it is the President’s prerogative. He works with the Ministers and the deputy ministers and he should be able to determine who is working well or otherwise.
“But I think that eight months to an election will not have any effect on the direction of government. So I think the timing is the problem, otherwise, it is his prerogative to do a reshuffle as he sees fit,” he said on Wednesday.
He further expressed concerns about the learning curve for the newly appointed ministers, emphasising that the duration is too short for them to understand the intricacies of their ministries adequately.
“Some of these appointees are completely new. How are they going to learn and know what goes on in the Ministries to enable them to direct the ministries as expected of them?” he questioned.
“So what do you want to achieve? It is too close to the election, and I don’t believe they can effect any massive change,” he told host Evans Mensah
Mr Mpiani joins a list of influential individuals in the country who have said the reshuffle came too late.
On the morning of Valentine’s Day, President Akufo-Addo announced his inaugural significant ministerial reshuffle. Approximately 12 current ministers of state, including 10 cabinet ministers and two regional ministers, were affected by the reshuffle.
Notable ministers including, Ken Ofori-Atta and Kwaku Agyeman Manu lost their positions – Finance and Health Ministers respectively – entirely.