Incoming ministers will deliver despite limited time – Justin Kodua

The General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has rejected claims that the reshuffle will not make any impact since the country is barely a few months into the general elections.

President Nana Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, announced a significant reshuffle of his ministers after months of public outcry and protests.

A total of 13 current ministers of state, including 10 cabinet ministers and two regional ministers, were affected by the reshuffle.

READ ALSO: Here Are The Ministers Sacked By Akufo-Addo

Critics have suggested that the President’s reshuffle had come a bit too late and would not make any impact in an election year.

However, the NPP General Secretary insists that the appointees are competent and can deliver on their mandate despite the limited time.

“I disagree; a player who can score a goal in a match doesn’t need 90 minutes to do so. Sometimes coming at injury time, they will give you victory. We must understand that politics and governance are different from private administration or private governance.

“Whereby one can simply say that a person may decide to have a sour relationship with the staff, subordinates, and stakeholders that she works with, so far as he gives results, that is it. That is different from politics. Politics has to do with key stakeholders, political parties, civil society, and parliament. It’s not just about results. I’m happy that after the list was released, nobody has been able to say that these people are incompetent and cannot do the job.”

He stressed, “On the issue of 9/10 months, a political circle is a long period for someone to make a positive impact in the ministry that he or she finds himself or herself. Looking at the caliber of people who have been appointed, very young and youthful people who are eager to achieve something for themselves and the government.

“They are highly motivated. Some of them are MPs; they know very well that if they excel in their portfolio and based on their hard work. If the party wins elections on December 7, there’s a high possibility that they will be maintained in their ministries or moved to another ministry.”

Mr Kodua commended the President for his decisive actions, emphasizing the importance of the reshuffle to the development of the nation.

“I’m overly excited, and that is the feeling within the rank and file of our party. And we will applaud the president. For not just doing a reshuffle but for making very radical changes in his government. It is something that we believe that the people coming in are going to work assiduously and give us the needed results come December 7. So we are excited as a party,” he remarked.

On December 22, Kodua Frimpong called on President Akufo-Addo to promptly reshuffle his government.

Speaking at the party’s annual Thanksgiving Service, he emphasized the urgency of the reshuffle in the party’s pursuit of “breaking the eight.”