As the President puts together his government to manage affairs for the next four years, many have expressed concern over the size of his government. Interestingly, we all are chewing on the incomplete government appointments that have been done so far. Fascinatingly, we have people who until the change of government had always been laying ambush at the Flagstaff House for political positions, also screaming from the mountain top that the president is appointing without recourse to the size of government. As annoying as that may seem, such is politics. Everyone is an angel in opposition and that is why all concerns are duly welcomed.
Some of us are waiting to hear a more structured and measured critique which isanaemic of sensationalism and blind politicking. What I note is that some people were too busy not listening to the then candidate Akufo-Addo, and so do not seem to know what he said and did not say. In fact, the president said and promised no where that he was going to establish a lean government. Whoever continues to trumpet such untruth and attacks the president on that basis commits the straw man’s fallacy.
But come to think of it, does the president really need a large size of government to deliver? Candidly, all appointments by succeeding governments after elections are ‘job for the boys’ simpliciter! Of course no one expects those who have not labored to enjoy the fruits of governance thereof. However, I doubt very much if the president will need a suspiciously large size of government to deliver on his promises. Instances of one ministry having as much as three ministers, though not new, is definitely not progress; if we see progress as doing something new/advanced and improved over the pre-existing one.
Experience has shown us that one basic benefit of a lean government is the ability to better monitor and control appointees. Perceptions of corruption have seldom been directly associated with the presidents, rather the appointees who mostly act on the blind side of the president. If the size of government is lean, it will go a long way to help in strictly monitoring these appointees.
I however believe that as a matter of policy and political analysis, the reshuffling of this administration will see a trimming down of the size of government with the merging of some ministries. That said, we await the completion of the appointment and subsequent confirmation so we can have more to gossip about.
Author: Kow Kwegya Amissah Abraham
Lecturer (UCC), Exc. Dir. (CEPRAT)
kow.abraham@ucc.edu.gh