President Picks 19 As Cabinet Ministers

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed 19 ministers to form his Cabinet for his second term in office.
He has accordingly informed the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin.

The move by the President is in conformity with Article 76(1) of the 1992 Constitution.

Per Article 76(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the Cabinet shall consist of “the President, the Vice-President and not less than ten and not more than 19 Ministers of State”.

Cabinet ministers

The 19 Cabinet ministers include : the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta; the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; the Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul; the Minister of the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame; the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto; the Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.

Others are the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu; the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mr Daniel Botwe; the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abdulai Jinapor; the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resource, Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah; the Minister of Railways Development, Mr John Peter Amewu; the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah; the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson; the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, and the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Francis Asenso Boakye.

Exceptions

With the exception of four ministries- Transport, Monitoring and Evaluation, Regional Reorganisation and Development and Special Development Initiatives - all other ministries whose sector minister made the Cabinet list in the President’s first term have been named in the new Cabinet.

The ministries of Monitoring and Evaluation, Regional Reorganisation and Development and Special Development Initiatives are no longer in existence, while the Minister of Transport lost his spot in the Cabinet.

Replacing these ministers are the minsters of Parliamentary Affairs, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Works and Housing and Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.

Article 76(2) of the 1992 Constitution mandates the Cabinet to assist the President in the determination of general policy of the government.

Per Article 77(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the Cabinet shall be summoned by the President, “who shall preside at all its meetings, and in the absence of the President, the Vice- -President shall preside”.