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Opinions of Thursday, 19 January 2017

Columnist: Innocent, Ivan Kyei

Akufo-Addo a playbook of dishonesty

President Akufo-AddoPresident Akufo-Addo

Isn't is shocking that the man who over past 16 years had been chasing the presidency of the country with flattery and fancy promises finally becomes the president and engages in the most dishonest act in history of our country by going against his vow to reduce public expenditure by cutting the size of government.

Mr. Akuffo Addo, Ghana's new president, after causing the country unpresidented embarrassment by summing up speeches delivered by past presidents around the world and presented it as his own in his maiden address goes ahead to form a government which is unequivocally the lagest in the history of this country.

What makes the situation quite bizarre was his consisted chastisement of the then Mahama led government for his size of government yet barely few days after assuming power, his ministerial portfolios most of which are obviously duplication of portfolios which many pundits describe as an attempt to reward "old lackeys" for party loyalty and allegiance at the expense of the Ghanaian taxpayer.

The 72 year old Addo Danquah who many people describe as visionless and clueless when it comes to leadership considering his horrific  tract records as the leader of the then opposition party, now the ruling party, the Npp.

After campaigning on  cutting taxes, building factories at every district of the country, provides free secondary education, and many more, the early sign of intellectual dishonesty displayed raises lots of doubt about his commitment to keeping those juicy promises made to Ghanaians.

Some ministerial portfolios created by the new government which many describe as useless and unnecessary has alarmed lot Ghanaians slamming the old man as incapacitated to be trusted with the developmental prospects of the state. So far 36 ministerial portfolios are created which is largest in the history of Ghana.

The splitting of the transport, aviation and railway, and water sanitation and housing into separate ministries and others like senior minister portfolio which many had argued is totally needless because of a likely clash with the chief of staff position with two other deputies. Other avenues like the regional re-organisation and special projects, Zonger and inner cities minsteries.

With the creation of four regions on top of  his agenda everyone would expect a special attention to be given it but creating a whole ministry is only glorified in the realms of absurdity.

Over the years many experts have advocated the need for strengthening existing institutions to make them effective instead of duplicating them for cheap partisan expedience.

Mahama government is criticised by the npp and their surrogates in the media engaged in all sorts of diabolical propaganda to effect regime changed which luckily worked for them in 2016 elections, now their "grand wizard" is president and they find no reason to complain even in the face of a staggering abuse of power and a case of job for family.

Aside Akuffo Addo's minist erial gafe, another issue many Ghanains have expressed worry about is the appointment of his family members to key and strategic positions like the attorney generals position.

One may count as much as seven and still counting about seven cousins of the president. The financial sector is anchored to the rib of his cousin who over the years, sources have revealed was the sponsor of his campaign as director of Data Bank.

A clear case of nepotism at the highest office is a crime that cannot be treated with indifference.

The early signs of failure are boldly indicative on the walls considering how things have started at the top, and considering personals appointment most of which debuted in the erstwhile Kuffour administration and led a terrible scandals which has left unfading scar in the momeries of Ghanaians. Yaw Osarfo Marfo a former finance and education Minster currently a senior minister who was at the centre of a popular CNTC loan and Macmillan dictionary scandals.

These are the men Akuffo Addo has re-introduced to steer the affairs of the state in the next 4 years. Many Ghanaians who had hope in the 72 year old Presidet feeled betrayed.

Many political pundits have argued on the n eed for some of the ministerial portfolios created.

The question is, do we need Zongo ministry before we could reach out to the needs of Muslims living in the slums when ad hac committee with a defined role could be designated to take such assignment.

Is it going to be like all the campaign promises made to Ghanaians by Nana Addo and his team would require a designated ministerial portfolios, then in the coming days watchers and observers of this government should be expecting minister minister for Free SHS, minister for one million dollar constituency and minister for one district one factory.

This is the level the 72 year old who has no knowledge or whatsoever about governance has reduced leadership of this country to, a theatre of comedy and jokes.

Again many people have raised doubts about the competence of the old man with the creation of regional re-organisation and development.

With a major campaign promise of creating for regions out of the existing ones, one would expect a special attention be shifted to achieve that but creating a whole ministry for this purpose is very bizzare.

The obvious question is after creating the regions what would be the exact role of this ministry considering th e fact that dzt to day running of various regions are handled by regional ministers.

Many would have expected the setting up a team of expects to be in charge of such development without necessarily inflicting such needless financial pressure on the already stressed national purse.

There are whole lots f contradictions in the specificity of role assigned to various duplitours ministries created and concerns raised about the likely clash among personels designated to handle those offices.

The situation is projected to create power play among players on the filed which will obvious breed chaos and bad blood to choke and stall progress.

Over the years, many Ghanaians have expressed deep concerns about increasing public expenditure and the need to curtail the annual surge, this informed the immediate past government to its economic management strategies but cutting down spending by fussing some of ministries.

Annual Budget allocations and overruns have inflicted a significant woes on Ghana's economic fortunes therefore the least one would expect from a new government is the creation of useless and needless ministerial portfolios which will obvious drain national coffers considering huge em oluments, allowances and after service benefits allocated to article 71 holders but that leader is not Ghana's new president who is poised to reward the old guards in his circles with positions at the expense of relevance and gains to the ordinary Ghanaian.

He remains undaunted in his quest to do the odds, because he has succeeded in building an army of sycophants around him and in the media who continue to sing the usual alleluia choruses however he may far.

I'm very much confident many who voted for Akuffo Addo with the hope of bringing something different to the table have started freezing out because the signs on the walls are very indicative of the old man's attitude of indifference to major concerns of Ghanaians over the protection of state coffers which was his major campaign promise. God bless our homeland Ghana, and make us great again, the bible is my witness.