Founding President of Imani Africa, Mr Franklin Cudjoe has asked the government to undertake reshuffle among his cabinet minsters.

He also called for cuts and re-alignment of ministries.

If done, these measures will help deal with the challenges facing the local economy, he said.

“Cabinet reshuffle, cuts and re-alignment of ministries & the Economic Management Team’s game plan for dealing with the economic atrophy needed now,” Mr Cudjoe said in a Facebook post.

It is recalled that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo reduced the number of his ministers drastiaccly in his second term to 85.

This was down from the 120 ministers who served in his previous administration.

However, governance experts said he could have further reduced the number below the 85.

For instance, a Local Governance Expert, Dr Eric Oduro Osae told TV3 that “It is good he is reducing to about 85 but, I would have wished that he even reduced it further to about 80. But that notwithstanding, with the 85 it is a very good reduction.”

He added “I have also noticed that he is not appointing Deputy Regional ministers, I applaud him for that. Because the position of a deputy regional minister is gradually becoming irrelevant in our governance architecture.”

A Professor at the University of Ghana Professor Ransford Gyampo has also said the new number of ministers was still huge.

Professor Gyampo said “In terms of size of government, an optimum size of 40 would have been felt by all as a drastic response. But it is rumored that the size of government in the next administration is likely to hover around 85.

“This to my mind, is still big. President J.A. Kuffour vehemently criticized President Jerry Rawlings for appointing 82 Ministers in the lead up to the 2000 elections. But when he (Kufuor) became President, he appointed 88 ministers. President Atta Mills downsized the government to 75 Ministers and we still criticized him. President John Mahama increased the size of government to over 90 Ministers (including his three or five wise men) and we used this as a campaign tool against him.

“President Akufo Addo ballooned the size to over 120 ministers and maintained this number in spite of several calls for downsizing.”

Source: 3news