John Mahama Under Big Pressure To Renege On His Pledge To Appoint 60 Ministers.
John Mahama, the president-elect of Ghana, has reportedly admitted to his close associates that he may not fulfill his campaign promise to govern with only 60 ministers, according to credible sources.
The sources suggest that Mr. Mahama is under pressure from his party's leadership to abandon the manifesto pledge and appoint more than 60 ministers to ensure efficient governance and reduce the demands on his administration.
Under Article 76 of the 1992 Constitution, the President is required to form a Cabinet consisting of the Vice President, himself, and at least ten but no more than nineteen ministers of state, tasked with assisting in the formulation of government policy. Additionally, Article 78 (1 & 2) grants the President the authority to appoint as many ministers of state as necessary for the smooth running of government, without setting a specific limit.
If Mr. Mahama adheres to his pledge of appointing 60 ministers, his Cabinet would include 19 ministers of state and 16 regional ministers, totaling 35. Should he appoint deputy ministers exclusively for Cabinet portfolios, an additional 19 would bring the total to 54, leaving room for only six more appointments to reach the 60-minister ceiling.
Speaking at a recent church service, Mr. Mahama expressed concern over the large number of Members of Parliament (MPs) from his party, the NDC, many of whom expect ministerial positions. He shared that during his campaign, paramount chiefs in various constituencies pledged their support but often requested ministerial appointments for their representatives in Parliament.
Mr. Mahama emphasized his awareness of these demands but reiterated his commitment to the promise he made to the Ghanaian people to limit his ministers to 60. At least half of these ministers, however, must be chosen from Parliament, as stipulated by the Constitution.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0