Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has blamed Nana Addo’s appointment of a hundred and ten ministers on internal pressure emanating from the ‘big wigs’ within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to the veteran journalist, persons who contributed to success of the party during the 2016 elections are all walking the corridors of power seeking for appointments either for themselves or their ‘political grandchildren’.
“The truth must be told. This is all as a result of pressure largely from party members and loyalists. People are of the opinion that once you campaign for a party to win, you should be given post. Some people as old as eighty years even lobby for post when their parties win elections.
President Nana Akufo-Addo now has a total number of 110 people to serve as ministers, ministers of state and deputies in his administration, the highest in the country’s history.
Out of the total 110, 20 are Regional Ministers and their Deputies, 40 ministers for various ministries, with 50 deputies.
In the President’s latest list of appointments presented to Parliament, he named 50 persons to serve as Deputy Ministers, and 4 to serve as Ministers of State.
The announcement has received widespread condemnation from Civil Society Groups and Individuals alike.
Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid has defended that the NPP never promised to give unto Ghanaians a lean government during the elections and hence called on the critics of the government to be concerned about the performance of the government other than the size.
“Nowhere did we ever promise a lean government because in our view it is not the leanness or bigness of a government that determines its output or its ultimate performance,” the Information Minister said at a press conference Wednesday.
Speaking Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’ on Thursday, Kwesi Pratt said the reaction from the Information Minister nearly cracked his ribs as they are very archaic.
He further called President Akufo-Addo to develop political shock absorbers to withstand all the unnecessary pressure from the financiers of the NPP as that would make him stronger.
“The test of leadership is the ability to resist unnecessary and unhelpful pressure because if you go by the pressure, you will appoint thousand ministers because there are others who are still lobbying for ministerial appointment even after the appointment of the hundred and ten…,” he encouraged.
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