Osafo-Maafo, Kofi Adda, Gloria Akuffo out…As Akufo-Addo firms up list for 2nd Term
High-profile personalities who were ministers in Akufo-Addo’s first tenure are likely to be kicked out in the next government, theghanareport.com can confirm.
While some underperformed, others are being replaced to inject fresh energy into the new government.
Ahead of the official release of nominees by the Akufo-Addo administration, theghanareport.com has gathered atleast three ministers are likely to be absent from the new government.
Information from sources suggests Attorney General Gloria Akuffo, Minister of Aviation Joseph Kofi Adda and Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo will not be assigned any ministerial appointments.
Mr Osafo-Maafo
Mr Osafo-Maafo is reported to have submitted his resignation a few days after the declaration of the 2020 election results.
Mr Osafo-Maafo’s position is a seniormost ministerial role introduced first by former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
President Nana Akufo-Addo re-introduced the Senior Minister role after being elected into office in 2016.
Mr Osafo-Maafo supervised the work of Kroll and Associates, a UK firm contracted by the government to audit some projects, identify wrongdoers and recover the assets of the said wrongdoers.
However, Auditor General Daniel Domelovo concluded that Kroll and Associates had been paid $1 million for no work done.
He subsequently surcharged the Senior Minister, four officials of the Ministry of Finance and Kroll and Associates GH¢5,510,353.73.
After several back and forths, a High Court cleared Mr Osafo-Maafo.
This was after Mr Domelo had taken a forced leave under the instructions of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Gloria Akuffo
The Attorney General’s office was one of the institutions whose report disagreed with the proposal for the Agyapa deal.
The Agyapa Royalties agreement was to secure $1 billion to enable the government to finance large infrastructural projects.
This was to be executed under the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act, 2018 (Act 978), to allow the country to derive maximum value from its mineral resources and monetise the mineral income accruing to Ghana.
However, the Minority in Parliament boycotted the deal and accused the government of mortgaging Ghana’s gold resources.
The Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu also delivered a damning verdict on the transaction spearheaded by the Finance Ministry prompting the government to shelve the deal.
But even before that, Ms Akuffo pointed out faults with the deal.
“In effect, no court can pronounce on any part of the agreement as being illegal, unconscionable, null and void or on any matter before the court which may or is likely to affect any part of the agreement.”
She added: “This will amount to executive interference of the powers of the judiciary, which is a violation of the concept of separation of powers as provided under the Constitution of Ghana.
“Therefore, the executive arm of government cannot enter into an agreement that curtails the independence of both the Legislature and the Judiciary.”
Joseph Kofi Adda
He was appointed Ghana’s first-ever Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources before being transferred to the Aviation Ministry.
Among the ministry’s many goals was reducing open defecation in 2020 and eradicating it by 2025.
The ministry planned to construct 25,300 together with 300 small water systems.
One million toilets were to be built, and Accra made one of Africa’s cleanest cities in four years.
In 2018, he pointed accusing fingers at private firm Zoomlion for the filth in the capital.
“We generate waste every day, so must we sweep every day. We ought to sweep, collect transport and dispose off every day. I don’t think for the past year, or so Zoomlion has done so well on that”, he said.
In response, the Chief Executive of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, said the government had not paid debts it owed for over two years, creating a challenge for them to manage the country’s waste.
Mr Adda lost the party’s Navrongo primaries to Upper East Regional Minister Tangoba Abayege.
However, Ms Abayege failed to capture the seat for the NPP in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
She blamed Mr Adda partly for campaigning against her and the party.
President Akufo-Addo was declared the winner of the 2020 elections by the Electoral Commission (EC) after the December 7 elections.
He polled 6, 730, 587 (51.302%) against former President Mahama’s 6, 213, 182 (47.359%).
He is expected to name more than half of his ministers from parliament.
His choices are limited as the NPP MPs have been reduced from 169 to 137.