A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Bono Region has called for an urgent ministerial reshuffle within the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to Mr Yaw Dabie Appiah Mensah, a former regional organizer of the NPP in the then Brong-Ahafo Region, the ministerial reshuffle remained necessary, if the party was truly determined to break the eight-year “jinx”.
He said the performance of some of the ministers of state and government appointees was unsatisfactory, thereby making the government unpopular.
In an interview with the press at Odumase in the Sunyani West Municipality, he emphasized the party was determined to break the eight-year cycle and appointees whose performance could narrow the fortunes of the party in Election 2024 ought to be dropped.
Mr Mensah further called on President Akufo-Addo to ensure all appointees aspiring for positions in the Party stepped down immediately since “it is glaring many of the appointee-aspirants are now working to achieve their selfish political desires at the expense of the government”.
He said though the government had performed creditably, it was unfortunate “nobody is there to sell these achievements to the masses, particularly at the grassroots to enable the voter population to make informed choices and decisions to vote for the NPP in Election 2024”.
“We can’t repeat the mistakes which nearly caused us dearly in election 2020. Election 2024 is very close, and we must do our homework well because any form of complacency would be politically-suicidal for us”, Mr Mensah stated.
That notwithstanding, he commended Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare for their loyalty to the government and their high sense of patriotism and excellent human relations.
“I can emphatically tell you President Akufo-Addo’s government is progressing, partly because of the sterling contributions of these two appointees, who are ever ready to sacrifice whatever they have for Mother Ghana”.
Mr Mensah explained unity within the ranks and file of the Party remained crucial at the time the NPP was preparing to hold its internal elections and urged various aspirants and their followers to be decorous in their political campaigns.
“We must strongly guard against tendencies that could divide us. As a strong party under a great elephant preparing for an election battle, there is the need for everybody to guard against tendencies that could put our unity in danger and consequently narrow our fortunes in the Elections”, he advised.
Highlighting some significant policy interventions of the government, Mr Mensah described the national digitization agenda, being spearheaded by Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as laudable, saying it had the potential to propel the nation into the middle-income bracket.
He said though the COVID-19 had had a huge toll on the economy, the government was doing extremely well in turning the nation’s economic fortunes around, saying from all indications the “economy is set to bounce strongly this year”.
Mr Mensah lauded the government for enhanced national security, stating that the CCTV cameras dotted around the length and breadth of the country had brought crime under control.
