Professor of Political Science and Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has alleged that the recent major ministerial reshuffle was an act of granting some appointees the opportunity to amass wealth for the imminent 2024 general elections.
In the recent ministerial reshuffle, several appointees double as Parliamentary candidates of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming December elections. Professor Gyampo asserts that this reshuffling was motivated by partisan interests, aimed at providing these candidates with the opportunity to accumulate wealth in preparation for their upcoming Parliamentary campaigns.
“I do not think this reshuffling activity is in response to the incessant calls on the president to do so. This is an injury-time reshuffle that does not satisfy any of the major reasons for a reshuffle. Those moved around may not have the desired impact because of the very limited time they have at their disposal,” he said to Joy News.
“So it does appear to me that the focus of this injury time reshuffle is more on partisan interest and opportunity for others to also get into the system so they can also amass wealth for their Parliamentary contests, especially in areas where the contests are expected to be highly competitive,” he added.
Join our WhatsApp Channel for more news
On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, President Akufo-Addo in a statement announced a ministerial reshuffle of his government. Perhaps this was a response to the many requests for the president to reshuffle his government.
However, the announcement was largely received with mixed feelings as many Ghanaians believed that with only about ten months to the end of the government, a reshuffling at this time was too late and would not be impactful.
In 2007, former President John Agyekum Kuffour also made a similar move when he reshuffled his ministers about a year before the 2008 general elections. The difference however is that, former President Kuffour removed Parliamentary candidates so they could focus on their campaign while President Akufo-Addo did the opposite by bringing in Parliamentary candidates who have impending elections to contest.
