The Executive Director of IMANI Ghana has described the latest Ministerial reshuffle by President John Mahama as a ‘new set of musical chairs.’
Although Franklin Cudjoe considers the inclusion of Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah as a Trade and Industry Minister as innovative but he suggested that he should have been the Energy Minister.
“I am not too sure that Dr. Spio Garbrah will have too much to do at the Trade Ministry because the Trade Ministry is not in turmoil; it’s the Energy Ministry that is in total chaos,” he opined.
The IMANI boss also indicated that the Energy Minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah should have been made the Western Regional Minister.
According to him, if the President is bringing in experienced persons like Spio Garbrah to help, “you probably would want to make him do a lot of work.”
Mr. Cudjoe added that “we should have had a lot more or imagination, innovation but as we speak, I’m not enthused at all.”
On his part, the Managing Editor of the Al-hajj newspaper, Alhaji Bature Iddrisu said the President should be commended for taking a bold step to revamp his administration but to him these changes are not significant enough.
He told Citi News, it is refreshing to know that the President has acknowledged the fact that “he needs to do something about his appointees.”
He however said the President failed to make significant movement of his appointees “but it is refreshing to have somebody like Spio Garbrah in government today.”
Alhaji Bature added that it would have been more prudent for Spio Garbrah to be closer to the President than serve as a sector Minister.
Meanwhile, a Political Scientist at the University of Ghana, Dr. Kojo Aidoo insists the latest reshuffle will not make any real impact.
“This is not a strategic move; it is rather practical. It has come late because the President himself is in his mid-term and even with people who are as experienced as Spio Garbrah coming on…they will have to settle within a period of five months,” he said.
He pointed out that the last six months in 2016 would be dedicated to the general elections therefore, the new Ministers have “just about a year to work and produce results for a population that is increasingly becoming cynical.”
