No deputy Regional Ministers in Akufo-Addo's second term

The office of President Nana Akufo-Addo has confirmed widespread rumours that there will be a major downsizing of the government’s machinery with an official communication that there will be no deputy Regional Ministers in Akufo-Addo's second term.

In a Press Release dated January 21, 2021, and sighted by GhanaWeb, the Presidency says there will be a major overhaul of the government's ministerial team.

The Presidency also affirmed that the number of ministers in the new administration will not exceed 85.

To achieve the target, considering that he had over 120 ministers during his first term, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has abolished seven ministries in his new government.

They are the Ministries of Aviation, Business Development, Inner City and Zongo Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Planning, Regional Re-organisation and Development, and Special Development Initiatives.

He has also abolished the Office of the Senior Minister which was previously occupied by Yaw Osafo-Maafo.

Acting Director of Communications Office of the President, Mr Eugene Arhin, the seven ministries were abolished “because virtually all these special-purpose Ministries have achieved the purposes for which they were established.”

According to the statement signed by Mr Eugene Arhin, in all, President Akufo-Addo has appointed a total of 30 Ministers, and 16 Regional Ministers, bringing the total number of Ministers to 46.

The statement on Thursday also said out of the 46, eight are women - six Ministers and two Regional Ministers.