A transition team was inaugurated yesterday to oversee the processes leading to a successful handing over of power from the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration to the incoming Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
The transition team includes members of both the incoming and outgoing administrations.
It is expected to be co-chaired by incumbent President Mahama and the President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo.
From the side of the outgoing administration are Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah Opong; Finance Minister, Seth Terkper; Interior Minister, Prosper Bani; Defence Minister, Dr. Benjamin Kunbour; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hanna Tetteh and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Dauda.
Representing the President-elect are former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning under the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Yaw Osafo Marfo, as well as Frema Osei Opare, Head of the Staff of Office of the President-elect.
The rest include Gloria Akuffo, responsible for Legal Affairs; Ken Ofori-Atta, responsible for Finance; Ambrose Dery, for the Interior; Dominic Nitiwul, for Defence; Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, for Foreign Affairs; Hajia Alima Mahama, responsible for Local Government and Rural Development and Albert Kan Dapaah, National Security.
In accordance with the provisions of the Presidential Transition Act 2012 (Act 845), the heads of the Civil Service, Local Government Service, Secretary to the Cabinet and the National Security Coordinator are statutory members of the team.
At a short ceremony yesterday, both the outgoing and the incoming Presidents – Mahama and Akufo-Addo respectively -charged members of the team to be transparent as possible to each other.
Nana Akufo-Addo entreated members to let cooperation and openness guide their work.
He believed with transparency and cooperation from both sides, a thorough job would be done.
Nana noted that unlike previous elections which went into run-offs, thereby limiting the time available for a thorough transition, this year’s is different.
He said “although government is a continuing business, it is important though that the decisions to be taken between now and then [January 7] would be guided in the best interest of the nation.”
He was grateful for the full cooperation of President Mahama so far and expressed, “I hope and expect that it would still continue until the full transfer of authority takes place.”
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