“In my view, the presidency should be a place where you should have the experts but what has happened is that President Mahama has turned the presidency into a dumping ground,” says Central Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwamena Duncan
The NPP National Executive Committee (NEC) member was commenting on the brouhaha surrounding Ghana’s participation at this year’s 2014 World Cup tournament and the subsequent musical chairs at the Sports Ministry.
Following the very poor organisation for Ghana’s participation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, many were those who clamoured for the head of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and his Deputy Joseph Yamin.
Their wish was granted but interesting, the president decided to reassign him. A statement from the Presidency to the effect indicated that the Sports Minister, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has been sent to the presidency and his Deputy to the Ashanti Region as the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister.
Mahama Ayariga is now the substantive minister at the Sports Ministry.
Commenting on these issues, Kwamena Duncan wondered why President Mahama is not able to sack his appointees if they err.
To him, the president has turned the Flagstaff House into a dumping ground; a place he sends Ministers who perform abysmally and gives them a new appointment.
“I cannot see how, if it is a form of punishment or whichever, he will rather make Elvis Afriyie Ankrah minister a at the presidency. In my view, is he saying that, that is a demotion? That you get demoted and the place for you is for the person to come and perch at the presidency? The interpretation is that the presidency is simply a dumping place where goods which cannot be used any longer are dumped,” Kwamena surmised during a panel discussion on ‘Kokrokoo’.
