Opinions of Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

Are the concerns being raised by Ghanaians...

President Akufo-Addo President Akufo-Addo

By: Adofo, Rockson

It is too early for me to wade into the ongoing brouhaha over the presumably unprecedented large size of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo's ministerial appointments. At 110 Ministers and Deputy Ministers, many a Ghanaian is worried considering the current decrepit state of the nation's economy where the just outgone President Mahama's NDC-led government did not only corruptibly embezzle State funds but also, left a huge national debt for the incoming government to deal or battle with.

Some Ghanaians are condemning the size as being too big; too far way ahead of any government Ghana has ever had. They see it as a waste of money and resources and only a creation of jobs for the NPP boys when viewed in terms of the poverty-stricken state of the country as at now.

However, others are arguing that the size does not matter as long as the 1992 Constitution at Article 78 does not lay limit on how many Ministers and Deputy Ministers a President can appoint. Even though there is no limit to how many people can be appointed as Ministers and Deputy Ministers, does common sense not apply here when we have such a weak economy as it is obvious at the moment?

I have no qualms about the number as long as they will be able to deliver on the numerous manifesto promises made to Ghanaians consequent upon which we all contributed in various capacities to ensure the election of Nana Akufo Addo and NPP on Wednesday, 7 December 2016, as the President and the ruling party, respectively. As said, I reserve my constructive or destructive criticisms or fervent approval for now.

However, I find those who criticised the sizes of previous governments Ministerial appointments as being huge but are now defending the current much larger one of President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo as normal, very hypocritical. They are behaving like the pigs in the Animal Farm story by George Orwell. The pigs that instigated the other animals to join them to revolt against man (Mr Jones) on allegation that man was evil, and on the slogan/mantra of, two legs bad, four legs good, became worse than man when they took over the administration of the farm after Mr Jones had been overthrown and chased out of the farm. Did they not start walking on their two hind legs, standing like man, drinking milk, eating eggs and sleeping in the same bed that Mr Jones had slept and ended up maltreating the other animals much worse than how Mr Jones had treated them?

I vehemently detest the hypocrisy of the Ghanaian politician.

As I write, some of the Senior Ministers of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo's government have started exhibiting their Ghanaian-politician tendency and weakness of easily corrupting themselves. I have seen and heard what they are doing and I shall in the coming days take them on in a very drastic manner that will shock many a Ghanaian. We did not vote them into power only to come to continue with the corruption and injustices that President Mahama and his NDC-led government masterminded, orchestrated, perpetrated and perpetuated.

Corruption is not only about embezzling funds but as defined in the dictionary; it is illegal, bad, or dishonest behaviour, especially by people in positions of power.

His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo is a known and recognised man of integrity whose incorruptibility, firmness of character and fairness as a champion of Human Rights impacted on many a discerning Ghanaian's decision to vote for him and NPP so there is no way that I shall sit back with arms folded around the chest when I see any of his Ministers doing acts that will compromise the President's hard-earned reputation.

Come what may, as long as God continues to grant me longevity, wisdom and strength, I shall take these Ministers on very soon should they not desist from their deplorably hidden agenda to condone and connive with others to commit acts of corruption.

If they think they now have power and can do as they want when they want, let them persist with their collusive intents and they will be shocked to the very foundations of their bones when I start to take them on. We voted for a change of government for the better but not for a change where the injustices, lawlessness, practice of selective justice and corruption that were the daily vitamin intake by the President Mahama's NDC-led government would be continued by the new administration.

Until that day which is clearly within sight, I rest my case.