A Political Scientist and a Senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante has said that President Akufo-Addo should appoint ministers based on their competence and not loyalty.

According to him, a person who is knowledgeable enough will work effectively in any position that is offered to them more than a loyal person who may not work efficiently.

“My understanding is that it (appointment) should be on competence. Why am I saying that? If you look at the meaning of competence in the dictionary, it is the ability to do something well, comparing it to loyalty which is the feeling of devotion, duty and attachment to somebody," he said on Joy FM on Thursday.

His comments follow President Akufo-Addo's speech made at the swearing-in of the Gender Minister Lariba Zuweira Abudu and her deputy, Francisca Oteng Mensah on 28th December 2022.

According to the President, he will sack any deputy minister who is found to be disloyal to the minister. “Loyalty to the minister is the fundamental premise to your work," he said.

But speaking on Newsnight, Dr Asah-Adante told JoyNews' Kojo Manu that "you want to serve your minister and serve him well. You can have your mother as a minister who will be most loyal to you, but will she be competent enough to hold that portfolio.”

“Is it the case that you want to be attached to somebody or you want to do something and do it well and by extension, you want to serve the state and serve it well?" he quizzed.

Dr Asah-Asante added that even though loyalty is important, competence is the topmost requirement since the results are what will be needed at the end of the day.

He noted that loyalty is inbuilt in competence since a person who is competent will do the needful.

The Political Science lecturer continued that “now I can understand why some ministers have not been reshuffled, maybe they’re loyal to the President and he considers that one paramount."

"But the performance we are seeing from the ministers, can we say it’s competence or loyalty? And which one do we need to move the country forward?" he asked.