Professor Ransford Van Gyampo, a Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon has criticized President Akufo-Addo’s government for its reluctance to reshuffle over the past seven years, despite cross-partisan and public calls.
The astute Political Scientist, reacting to President Akufo-Addo’s latest ministerial reshuffling questioned the motives behind the President’s decision to finally reshuffle his ministers, and further raised concerns about the timing of the reshuffle, coming less than ten months before the end of the presidential term.
Professor Ransford Gyampo, commenting on the importance of reshuffling in governance, and its purpose in any democratic setting, strongly argued that reshuffling among other things aims to introduce new skills, demand accountability, retire the tired, and promote inclusivity in governance.
According to Professor Ransford Gyampo, periodic reshuffling unlike frequent reshuffling is very crucial for developing democracies like that of Ghana.
Professor Gyampo thus argued that the decision by any government to refuse to undertake reshuffle is very inimical to the growth of democracy and good governance as it perpetuates incompetence, promotes complacency and denies a developing country access to its limited human resource base, which must be tapped for national development.
“So, the periodization of reshuffling is more important than its frequency. This explains why successive governments in the Fourth Republic of Ghana, periodically reshuffled.
“The only government that appears to have no appreciation of the idea and ideals of reshuffling, is the current one headed by President Akufo Addo. The President may have his reasons but I do not think such reasons can torpedo the ideals of periodic reshuffling”
Professor Ransford Van Gyampo
Professor Gyampo expressing deep concerns over President Akufo-Addo’s reluctant to listen to public calls and concerns on specific issues under his administration, chastised the President for refusing to listen to calls from well-meaning Ghanaians not to go after the former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelovo.
The Impact Of Last-Minute Ministerial Reshuffling On Governance
Furthermore, the renowned academic questioned the impact of the reshuffle, given the limited time the new appointees have to effect significant changes and firmly posited that the motive behind President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial reshuffling might be a result of partisan interests and an opportunity for individuals to secure positions before the December 7 polls.
“In less than ten months to the end of his tenure, President Akufo Addo has finally reshuffled his Ministers. But this particular reshuffle is plagued with some confusion in a manner that makes it difficult for one to appreciate the direction he’s heading with the country. What is the focus of this reshuffle vis-a-vis the outlined rationale?”
Professor Ransford Van Gyampo
While acknowledging that it is better late than never for President Akufo-Addo to reshuffle his cabinet, Professor Gyampo expressed disappointment in the lack of a more substantive, meaningful, and thorough period reshuffle under the New Patriotic Party administration over the past seven years.
According to Professor Gymapo, the failure of President Akufo Addo to undertake a very meaningful reshuffle over seven years, would remain one of the numerous sources of disappointment of his government, by many well-meaning Ghanaians.
He described the practice under President Akufo-Addo’s administration as unprecedented and unworthy of emulation by successive administrations and leaders.
“More importantly, why now, that the day is over? Is it in line with the belief that, the last days are dangerous and that something new or drastic can be done at the last minute injury time? Is that how governance works?
“Is governance like a football match, where we can hope that goals can be scored in injury time? Is governance about superstition? Are the new ministers of state going to operate with sector budgets that they had no inputs in preparing?”
Professor Ransford Van Gyampo
In addition, Professor Gyampo raised concerns about President Akufo-Addo’s decision to replace Ministers with Ministers of State and questioned whether such a move was a cost-cutting mechanism or a misunderstanding of the hierarchical order between Ministers and Ministers of State.
The President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana Chapter at the University of Ghana also expressed deep concerns about the failure of President Akufo-Addo to reduce or downsize his administration.
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