Ghana’s President, Mahama Scraps Seven Ministries, to Cut Costs of Governance
As part of his efforts to trim down the cost of governance in Ghana, the newly inaugurated President of the African country has scrapped seven government ministries in line with International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity programme.
By: Olufemi Orunsola
The newly inaugurated President of Ghana, John Mahama has scrapped seven government ministries as his part of efforts to reduce costs of governance and public spending under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity programme.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News gathered that the move, which was announced in a gazette dated 9 January, reduces the number of ministries from 30 to 23, aligning with Mahama’s pledge to streamline government operations for greater efficiency.
OTN News reports that the axed ministries include: finance, health, interior, defence, education, energy and green transition, roads and highways, and transport.
The president’s office confirmed the decision in an emailed statement.
It would be recalled that Mahama returned to power after a previous tenure of office as president between 2012 and 2017, Mahama defeated former Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia in a closely fought election.
Mahama secured 56.55 per cent of the vote, while Bawumia, who conceded defeat before the final count, garnered 41.6 per cent.
Meanwhile, the cost-cutting agenda of the Ghanaian President has been described as the direct opposite of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who expanded the number of ministries to 48 in 2023 from 44 under his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
OTN News recalls that Nigeria's President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was mistakenly addressed as 'The President of the Federal Republic of Ghana" during the inauguration ceremony of his Ghanaian counterpart recently, had bluntly told Nigerians, during his premiere Presidential Chat with the Media that he was not ready to reduce the size of his cabinet.
What's Your Reaction?
