Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education has raised significant concerns regarding the vetting process of Ghana’s ministerial nominees for Agriculture, Education, and Roads.
The renowned policy analyst and civil activist, in a detailed statement, criticized the lack of thorough scrutiny of critical policy issues during the vetting.
He shared about 39 specific questions that he believes should have been posed to the nominees to ensure accountability and clarity in governance.
On the Agriculture Ministerial nominee’s vetting process, Franklin Cudjoe noted that the members of the Appointment Committee of Parliament failed to probe key manifesto promises and the nominee’s plans for implementation.
Among the unasked questions, Mr Cudjoe pointed out that the nominee was not queried on the cost estimates and service offerings for the proposed Farmer Service Centers in each district.
“Is there a plan then to displace the existing Agricultural Mechanisation Centers (AMSECs) launched in 2007 and expanded by the previous government across various districts?
“Do you know how many districts have those facilities already? If the plan is to keep the Amsecs, then how specifically would they be improved to operate within or alongside the farmer service centres?”
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
Franklin Cudjoe further highlighted the absence of questions on the interplay between the National Seeds Council and the National Biosafety Authority in addressing genetically modified organism (GMO) seeds’ safety and food security issues.
He also noted that the nominee was not asked about innovative strategies to combat fertilizer smuggling, a persistent issue that undermines the Planting for Food & Jobs initiative.
Moreover, Mr Cudjoe indicated that despite Ghana’s cocoa farmers producing below 500kg per hectare, no solutions were sought from the nominee to enhance productivity amidst rising farming costs.
Additionally, Mr Cudjoe noted that the nominee was not queried on policies to promote climate insurance uptake, a crucial tool for mitigating weather-related agricultural risks.
The absence of questions on lessons from the Komenda Sugar Factory’s challenges and how they would inform the Salaga Sugar Factory project was also highlighted.
Education Ministerial Nominee: Overlooked Issues on Financing and Equity
The statement also identified critical gaps in the vetting of the Education Ministerial nominee, particularly in relation to equity, financing, and systemic reforms.
Key issues included the “Zero First-Year Tuition Policy”. Here Mr Cudjoe indicated that the nominee was not asked about the expected increase in enrollment and the budgetary allocations required to support the proposed zero tuition policy for first-year students in public universities.
“Given that fees differ significantly based on whether a person is a regular student or a full fee-paying student as we understand it, for students whose grades do not reach a certain cutoff point, there is an option to enrol as a full fee-paying student at higher tuition fee levels.
“Is the government’s plan to pay these higher levels of fees on behalf of such students? If so, what cost have you done, and what is the expected variation of costs between this class of students and the regular students?”
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
Secondly, Mr Cudjoe noted that questions on the financing strategy for extending the FSHS policy to private schools and abolishing the double-track system were absent.
According to him, there was no discussion about the framework for determining which districts benefit from the government’s model STEM schools and the curriculum reforms to enhance basic education.
He lamented the lack of focus on solutions for schools in conflict-affected areas like Bawku, where prolonged closures have disrupted educational outcomes.
Mr Cudjoe also decried that the nominee was not queried on plans to reform the public scholarship system to address concerns of nepotism and meritocracy.
On legal education and district decentralization, the IMANI’s Chief Executive Officer indicated that questions on the nominee’s vision for legal education reform and the proposed devolution of basic education management to district assemblies were also missing.
Roads Ministerial Nominee: Infrastructure and Financing Queries Ignored
Though focused mainly on agriculture and education, Franklin Cudjoe’s statement also hinted at the absence of rigorous questioning on the Roads Ministerial nominee’s plans.
He suggested that questions on infrastructure financing models and measures to ensure sustainable road maintenance were crucial but left unaddressed.
“The previous government commenced a process to engage private partners to build roads and toll them to recover their investment in order to minimise the financial burden on the state.
“What is the nominee’s personal policy preference regarding this approach? For those efforts that were already initiated in this direction, will the nominee advise Cabinet to continue?”
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
Mr Cudjoe’s critique underscored a broader issue of inadequate parliamentary oversight in the ministerial vetting process.
By failing to demand clarity on critical policy proposals and their implementation, Parliament risks endorsing nominees without fully understanding their preparedness to address the nation’s pressing challenges.
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