The destiny of Ghana is now placed in the hands of Professor John Evans Atta Mills, current President of the resource-rich country. Even before his first hundred days in office, critical eyes are monitoring his performance closely.
To execute his job as president, the constitution of the Republic mandates him to nominate for approval by parliament, Ministers and Deputy Minsters who shall be in charge of key sectors of the nation. Currently, the president has named close to 75 persons as Ministers and Deputy Ministers. All those nominated for ministerial positions have already gone through the vetting process of Parliament.
Youth Empowerment
Just when the vetting process of the ministers was coming to an end, names of persons nominated for deputy ministerial positions started pouring in. The number of the nominees immediately brought into question, the president’s promise to run a lean and good government deviod of political corruption.
Policy analysts and think tanks have always advocated the need to empower the youth of Ghana so that in the near future, they (the youth) can become effective leaders of the nation. President Mills’ list of Deputy Ministers may have responded to that call since most of the nominees are in their youthful days. At the same time, however, the appointment of certain people has raised suspicions that the president is just bent on satisfying his own ‘boys’.
Political patronage has always been abhorred and its associated practice of ‘job for the boys’ detested as unproductive and a must-avoid practice. Any suspicions of political patronage or a ‘job for the boys’ syndrome, should, therefore, be examined critically.
Political Patronage?
The majority of the President’s nominees for Deputy Ministerial positions are in their thirties. Several Ghanaians are therefore wondering whether the president is seeking to empower the youth for the future of his party and the country or he is just creating jobs for the men who contributed to his electoral victory. The nominees include Messrs, Fiifi Kwetey, Elvis Afriyie Ankra, Baba Jamal, Okudzeto Ablakwa and Koku Anyidoho. A good number of the nominees are national officers of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and this has heightened the suspicion that the president is after all, creating jobs his men.
Realistically, once it is known that the nominees are Ghanaian adults of sound mind, the questions and analysis should centre on whether they are competent and can help make Ghana a better place as the ruling party promised during the electioneering campaign.
It makes unquestionable sense to advocate for thorough background checks on the nominees before they secure parliamentary approval to assume duty as ministers and deputy ministers. It will however be untenable for one to argue that the president erred in his appointments solely on the grounds that the majority of his nominees are party executives or officials. In any case, was anyone expecting President Mills to appoint key opposition figures to form his cabinet?
Global Crisis and Finance Ministery
It is however surprising that the NDC’s Propaganda Secretary, Mr. Fiifi Kwetey, has been nominated Deputy Finance Minister. At a time when even the United States of America is struggling with its economy, no one needed to advise President Mills that as far as the economy is concerned, it is no time for experimentation.
When Fiifi Kwetey was challenged on his capabilities to serve as a Deputy Finance Minister ahead of vetting by parliament, he disclosed that he is a stock analyst with an Economics background. But at a time when there is a global economic meltdown, being a stock analyst with an economics background is not enough for one to be a Deputy Finance Minister.
Fiifi may be intelligently articulate and have done an excellent job as Propaganda Secretary of the NDC but in the area of the economy and particularly at this time, there cannot be justifiable reasons for side-stepping economic czars for propaganda stars.
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