President Akufo-Addo has charged some former ministers to maintain their respective positions pending the appointment and subsequent approval of new ministers for his second term in office.

These former ministers include Ken Ofori Atta, who was the Minister for Finance, Alan Kyerematen who was the Minister for Trade, the Minister for Local Government Hajia Alima Mahama, and former Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

According to available information, this directive sent across in a letter signed by Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Opare also had some presidential staffers and former ministers in charge of security being asked to remain at post.

The directive by President Akufo-Addo is in line with the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845).

While Section 14 (1) of Act 845, states that all ministers, deputy ministers, presidential staffers, such as the Chief of Staff and the Executive Secretary to the President, and non-career Ambassadors and High Commissioners ceased to hold office when the President’s tenure ended on January 7, Section 14(2) of Act 845 allows the President to appoint a person to perform the functions of all those mentioned above for a specified period.

It is based on this that the President has allowed some of the former ministers to stay on until the full complement of his new ministers are approved by Parliament, as stipulated by Article 78 (1) of the 1992 Constitution.

These ministers are, however, prevented from taking decision involving policy issues.

Meanwhile, ahead of the appointment of ministers and other government officials, President Akufo-Addo has been urged to consider having a lean government.

This follows his appointment of a record number of 125 ministers in 2017; a move most Ghanaians from all political divides spoke against and considered as ‘outrageous’.

Submitting the list of Presidential Staffers to Parliament after assuming office for his first term, the Akufo-Addo led government had also increased the number from 28 in 2018 to 36 in 2019.

Also, the list of junior political appointees had shot up from 254 in 2018 to 270 in 2019.

Many argued that the move by the NPP government was a far cry from the promise to protect the public purse during the campaign season.