Jinapor questions ministerial cuts: ‘Are appointments just being repackaged?’

The Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency, Samuel A. Jinapor, has raised concerns over the President’s recent claim of reducing the size of government by appointing only 60 Ministers and Deputy Ministers, including Regional Ministers. 

According to him, while this move has been presented as a step toward efficiency, the government has merely shifted appointments to the Office of the President, maintaining the same cost burden on the national exchequer.

Jinapor pointed out that while the President celebrates the reduction in the number of Ministers, he has simultaneously expanded the list of presidential advisors, staffers, and aides—many of whom enjoy the same benefits as Ministers but do not undergo parliamentary approval.

“The President is praising himself for appointing 60 Ministers, but what he has failed to tell us is that he has found a smart way of making up the numbers by appointing more and more people as Presidential Advisors and Staffers,” he stated on the floor of Parliament.

Jinapor argued that the dissolution of certain Ministries has not led to cost savings, as their functions have simply been transferred to the Office of the President with the same financial implications.

The Damongo MP highlighted that the Office of the President now houses an increasing number of high-ranking appointees, including one Senior Presidential Advisor on Government Affairs, Dr. Valerie Sawyerr, and nearly ten Presidential Advisors covering key sectors such as the economy, corruption, and diaspora affairs. 

He said there are also dozens of Presidential Staffers and Aides handling specialized roles such as Economic Affairs, Special Aides to the President and Vice President, and regional operations. 

Notably, he observed that there is even a Director at the Presidency in charge of Agriculture and Agribusiness, Peter Boamah Otokunor, despite the existence of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry.

Jinapor remarked that this pattern suggests a strategy of political accommodation, where major campaign promises result in new Presidential Advisor or Staffer appointments. 

He further noted that while the President has maintained that he will not appoint Deputy Regional Ministers—a policy first introduced by President Akufo-Addo—he has instead assigned sixteen Presidential Staffers to various regions, effectively functioning as Deputy Regional Ministers under a different title.

Raising further concerns about the growing size of the government’s communications team, Jinapor said the Office of the President currently includes one Presidential Advisor on Media, four Directors of Communication, five Deputy Directors of Communication, two Communication Specialists, five Technical Communication Assistants, one Media Aide, one Assistant Media Liaison Officer, one Communications Consultant, and one Minister for Government Communications. 

Beyond concerns over government size and expenditure, Jinapor emphasized that the President has failed to uphold key campaign pledges. One major unfulfilled promise, he noted, is the commitment to appoint 30 per cent of Cabinet Ministers as women—a goal that remains unmet. “If you can’t keep the campaign promise, just let the Ghanaian people know and apologize to them,” he asserted. “Don’t use the backdoor to appoint Ministers and Deputy Ministers who will not be subject to parliamentary approval.”

Jinapor concluded that while the President’s decision to limit the number of Ministers may seem commendable on the surface, it has not translated into actual cost savings. He argued that shifting roles from Ministries to the Office of the President does not equate to efficiency, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.

He urged the government to be candid with the Ghanaian people, warning that citizens will be watching closely to see whether this restructuring truly delivers on its promise of efficiency or is simply a case of repackaging old structures under new titles.