General News of Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Source: abusuafmonline.com

Akufo-Addo can appoint minister for 'koobi & momoni' - Yamoah Ponko

Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, Former Municipal Chief Executive for Ejisu Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, Former Municipal Chief Executive for Ejisu

Former Municipal Chief Executive for Ejisu has said president Akufo-Addo has not violated any law by appointing over one hundred ministers in his government.

According to Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, president Akufo-Addo has done nothing wrong with regards to his ministerial appointments so far as the constitution allows him.

Yamoah Ponkoh argues, the president has been given a mandate by Ghanaians to government and take decisions in line with the constitution and no one must question the exercise of the president’s powers.

There has been widespread public outcry over President Akufo-Addo’s appointment of 110 ministers to help him fulfill the plethora of electioneering promises to Ghanaians.

Out of the total 110, 20 are Regional Ministers and their Deputies, 40 ministers for various ministries, with 50 deputies.

By this number, the Nana Addo-led administration would have the highest list of ministers and deputies to serve in any government since the start of the fourth Republic.

Based on this backdrop, critics believe the large number of ministers will be a drain on the state purse – a position government has vehemently disagreed with.

However Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh insists, “this is not the matter of defending Akufo Addo, but I fully support him because he has not abused the powers giving to him.”

”The president can appoint over one thousand ministers and there will be nothing wrong with it because he has the mandate of Ghanaians to do so,” he said.

Yamoah Ponkoh charged, “Kwame, I say I can Akufo Addo can even appoint ministers for koobi and momoni and no one has the right to question him because Ghanaians have been giving him the mandate to do so.”

“At the end of his four year tenure, the same Ghanaians that voted for him will evaluate his performance and make a decision on him…so let’s allow him to exercise his executive powers,” the NDC stalwart stressed.