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 Mahama can run Ghana with 30 ministers – Prof. Avea Nsoh

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• Prof. Avea Nsoh

 President John Dramani Mahama has faced scepti­cism regarding his promise to run a government with no more than 60 ministers, including regional ministers.

Many Ghanaians question the practicality of such a structure, particularly in light of the bloated governments of the past.

However, Prof. Avea Nsoh of the University of Education, Winneba, believed that not only can Mahama meet this target, but he can also govern effectively with even fewer ministers.

In an interview with myjoy­online, Prof.. Nsoh said that a government with as few as 30 min­isters, including deputies, would be more than sufficient to manage Ghana’s affairs.

He emphasised that smaller governments were often more effective, citing examples from de­veloped nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Despite their larger populations and more complex economies, these countries maintain lean administrations. Prof. Nsoh added that large governments were often a sign of underdevelopment and unaccountable governance, citing the current administration under President Akufo-Addo as an exam­ple of inefficiency.

He recalled that President Akufo-Addo, while in opposition, had criticised the Mahama-led NDC government for having a supposedly large cabinet, only to nearly double the number of min­isters upon taking office.

Akufo-Addo’s administration created unnecessary ministries, appointed redundant deputies, and included several special duties min­isters in the presidency. According to Prof. Nsoh, this bloated struc­ture not only increased inefficiency but also wasted public funds.

To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past government, Prof. Nsoh proposed a streamlined ministerial structure, which would include 16 regional ministers and 14 sector ministers.

He suggested merging and re­aligning existing ministries in order to reduce overlap and improve efficiency.

For example, he recommended consolidating the Ministries of Defence, the Interior, and Nation­al Security into a single ministry; combining Education, Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts, and Chieftaincy into one portfolio; and integrating Health with Sports and Science.

He also called for the merger of the Ministries of Information and Communication into a unified ministry and the consolidation of the Ministries of Energy, Envi­ronment, Science, and Lands & Natural Resources.

Prof. Nsoh argued that regional ministers are essential for oversee­ing Ghana’s decentralised gov­ernance structure but noted that deputies for these ministers are unnecessary, particularly following the creation of smaller regions.

He also advocated for the abolition of redundant portfolios, such as special duties ministers, and called for future constitutional reforms to cap the number of ministries and ministers.

For this lean government structure to succeed, Prof. Nsoh emphasised the need for a reorien­tation of Ghana’s public service.

He called for the retraining of the Public Services Commission, Civil Service, and Chief Directors to ensure they can effectively sup­port ministers. He also suggested replacing any ineffective officials, as many qualified professionals are available to step in.

Prof. Nsoh expressed confi­dence in the new President’s ability to deliver on his promise.

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We‘ll pursue fair justice system — Pres Mahama

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President John Dramani Mahama has reassured of his resolve to strengthening the justice administration system to ensure fairness and equality for all.

Doing this, President Mahama said would address the systemic inequalities that currently exist and guarantee citizens equal protection under the laws of the country.

Speaking at the 92nd Jalsa Salana of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Ghana at Gomoa Pomadze in Winneba in the Central Region on Thursday, the President said his administration would pursue a fair justice system for all.

“I can assure you that this administration will work tirelessly to ensure that every Ghanaian, irrespective of status or background, is treated with dignity and accorded equal protection under the law,” he stated.

To achieve this objective of justice, he said the stalled constitutional review process would have to be revisited for the necessary amendments.

“I will soon establish a committee to begin the planning of a National Constitutional Review Validation Conference to achieve broad consensus on the way forward for the constitutional amendments that we have all proposed,” he said.

Justice and peace, he noted, were the bedrock of Ghana’s national aspirations and must be upheld as the Holy Quran teaches.

“Justice must always not only be done but must be seen to be done and must be felt by all. Justice is a moral compass that must guide our every decision, every law, and every interaction in our nation,” he emphasized.

Ghana, President Mahama said was facing challenges across sectors of the economy but his team would put its shoulder to the wheel to address the challenges.

The challenges, he enumerated cut across energy, education, health and the economy amongst others.

“We’ll transparently let you understand what those challenges are and we’ll take responsibility for solving them,” he assured.

According to President Mahama, good governance was the foundation upon which a nation’s progress rests and that he would be opened to Ghanaians on what the state of the country was at every point in time.

“In this light, transparency, accountability and ethical leadership will define this administration. We shall pass code of conduct for our office holders and they’ll strictly abide by it,” he stated.

A comprehensive audit of state-own enterprises, he said would be undertaken to establish their statuses and operationalise the recovery “all loots” and legally pursue persons who might have engaged in misappropriation of public property.

“We’ll strengthen the institutions of accountability in order to ensure that public trust is restored. The reset agenda is a call to action for every Ghanaian to join in building a nation where justice, peace and progress will flourish,” he rallied.

FROM JULIUS YAO PETETSI, GOMOA POMAD

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Frimpong Manso appointed Head Coach of Black Starlets

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The Ghana Football Association has appointed Coach Stephen Frimpong Manso as the new Head Coach of the Male National Under-17 team, the Black Starlets.

The seasoned Coach brings a wealth of experience to the table. Coach Manso’s coaching career has taken him to a number of club sides, namely Stade d’Abidjan, Asante Kotoko, Karela United, B. A. United, Kessben FC (currently Medeama SC) and Nkoranza Warriors. He is currently the Head Coach of Premier League club, Bibiani Gold Stars.

Coach Frimpong Manso is noted for discovering and nurturing young talent and he handled the National U17 team between 2009 and 2010, having previously been Assistant Coach of the team. From 2006 to 2008, he was Assistant Coach of the Black Meteors (Ghana’s National Male Under 23 team).

Frimpong Manso played for the senior national team, the Black Stars, for whom he featured from 1986-1995. He also played for Ghanaian giants, Kumasi Asante Kotoko for eight years before leaving the shores of Ghana to ply his trade with Kuwaiti club, Al Shabab. In his playing days, Frimpong Manso was a stalwart defender.

His expertise will undoubtedly be an asset to the Black Starlets as they get set to commence preparations for a number of international assignments.

As the team gears up for these assignments, it is anticipated that Coach Manso’s experience and know-how will help shape the team’s strategy and tactics, ensuring they’re well-prepared for the challenges ahead.

Coach Stephen Frimpong Manso is a holder of a CAF Licence A Coaching certificate.

Coaches Nana Kweku Agyemang and Jacob Nettey have been retained as Assistant Coaches of the team.

The Ghana Football Association’s decision to appoint Coach Manso reflects its belief in his ability to restore Ghana to a lofty perch in Youth football in Africa and the world.

GFA COMMUNICATIONS

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 Fuel shortage hits Yendi Municipality

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• Fuel stations closed down due to the fuel shortage in Yendi

 Yendi Municipal and its adjoining districts in the Northern Region is facing a fuel shortage as the residents buy fuel GH¢25 per litre on the roadside.

The actual price of a fuel price per litre on the pump in the munic­ipality is GH¢14.99 pesewas, while some of the fuel stations sells at GH¢15.95 pesewas per litre.

Yendi as the centre of supply of fuel to the neighboring districts in the eastern part of the Northern Region, had not received fuel for the past two weeks now.

Residents in Yendi and its envi­ros had no option than to park their cars and motorbikes, and resort to the use of bicycles.

The Yendi Municipality has 11 Fuel Stations and all the stations visited by the Ghanaian Times found them closed down due to lack of fuel in the area.

Manager of Naagmani Fuel Station on Yendi-Gusheigu Road, Mr Mubarik Abdul-Wahab, in an interview said it ws difficult for them to procure fuel from Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).

He said it was only his fuel station in the area that was having fuel and it also got finished some few days ago.

Mr Abdul-Wahab stated that apart from his fuel station, all the remaining 10 fuel stations in the area had run out of fuel some weeks ago.

He added that all the other districts in the eastern corridor en­claves depended largely on the Fuel Stations in Yendi for supply.

Mr Abdul- Wahab denied the rumour that they were hoarding the fuel, and said despite the shortage, they were still selling the fuel at the old price.

He, however, called on the residents to bear with them as they were working hard to ensure that they procure the commodity from their suppliers to serve them.

Mr Abdallah Fuzzy, a resident, told the Ghanaian Times that for the past two weeks, he had been buying fuel on the roadside at GH¢25 per litre and it was something that had been source of worry to him.

“Not me alone all other resi­dents are worried about the short­age of the fuel in the municipality,” he added

He then appealed to the fuel station owners in the area to, as matter of urgency, consider the plight of the residents to work in order to ensure that they secure fuel in no time to ameliorate their plight.

Nba Sule Dootiya Ahmed, a commercial driver, also told the reporter in an interview that he was disappointed with the conduct of the owners of the fuel stations for not being able to supply them with fuel for the past two week now.

He stated that he was forced to park his vehicle due to the shortage of fuel in the municipality.

Nba Ahmed, therefore, called on the government “to act swiftly” to support them get fuel in the area as the residents were purely farm­ers, and also the traditional seat of the king of Dagbon.

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