The directive by President Akufo-Addo to some former ministers in his first-term to take charge of their respective ministries until his upcoming ministerial appointments are approved by Parliament and the call for ‘government of national unity’ by a former Minister of Trade and Industry are some of the trending stories in Ghanaian press on Monday.
The Graphic reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked some former ministers in his first-term to take charge of their respective ministries until his upcoming ministerial appointments are approved by Parliament.
Multiple sources in government told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the President had directed the Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Opare, who has herself been asked to hold the fort, to write to the former ministers for them to take charge of the ministries for the effective running of government machinery.
The names include the former Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, former ministers overseeing the security architecture, the former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, the former Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and some former presidential staffers.
The move by the President is in line with the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845).
Per the schedule of Section 14 (1) of Act 845, all ministers, deputy ministers, presidential staffers, such as the Chief of Staff and the Executive Secretary to the President, and non-career Ambassadors and High Commissioners ceased to hold office when the President’s tenure ended on January 7.
However, Section 14(2) of Act 845 allows the President to appoint a person to perform the functions of all those mentioned above for a specified period.
The newspaper says that a former Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has called for a ‘government of national unity’, with ministers and other officials appointed based on competence and not political party affiliation.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, he said the 2020 general election showed that Ghanaians were tired of the ‘winner-takes-all’ policy in the governance system of the country.
He said the successes of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the parliamentary election, coupled with the election of Mr. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin as the Speaker of Parliament, meant that it could not be business as usual for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“With a Speaker who does not come from the President’s political party, if the NDC chooses to play hard ball politics with the President, he may not be able to push much of his agenda through Parliament. This is, therefore, the time for compromises.
“Winner takes all cannot work; the time for winner takes all is over. We must learn to collaborate,” he said.
Mr. Spio-Garbrah said attempts had been made towards a form of union government in the past, with a classic example being the one introduced by the late General Kutu Acheampong in the 1970s.
Such attempts, he said, although laudable, could not last because they were not backed by the mandate of the people.
Now Ghanaians, through the elections, want a government of ‘national unity’,” he added.
The Graphic also reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public to abstain from engaging in any capital market activity with Chy Century Heng Yue Group Limited and Sairuir-Commerce Ghana Limited.
According to SEC, the two entities have not been licensed to invest or trade for returns as mandated by Section 3 of the Securities Industry Act, 2016 (Act 929).
A statement dated January 8 and issued by SEC said, “Chy Century Heng Yue Group Limited/Sairui E-Commerce Ghana Limited are therefore not regulated by the SEC. The General Public is advised to be cautious with investing in unlicensed products.”
It added that SEC is dedicated to ensuring rigorous implementation of all the rules for operators in the Capital Market in order to promote the orderly growth and development of an efficient, fair and transparent securities market in which investors and the integrity of the market are protected.
The Times says that the Christian Council has condemned the chaotic contention among Members of Parliament (MPs) over the election of a Speaker, describing the behaviour as “distasteful and disgraceful.”
Members of Parliament on Wednesday January 6, 2021, commenced an exercise to elect a Speaker for the House. The Speakership position was keenly contested by Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye of the NPP and Mr. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin of the NDC.
However the exercise which saw Mr Bagbin emerging victorious with 138 votes out of 274, was characterised by drama of snatching of ballot papers and a ballot box among the MPs, a situation which a number of people described as disgraceful.
The Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, Chairman of the Christian Council, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, that the misconduct did not create a good picture for Ghana, which was widely known across the globe as a beacon of democracy.
He said the MPs should conduct themselves well and render a wholehearted apology to the citizenry and ensure that such misconduct did not repeat itself.
Dr. Boafo, who is also the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, said the Church also condemned the act and found it disappointing.
He said: “This is a new thing we are all experiencing. The best way is to build consensus among the parties to prevent the nation from going back.
“Ghanaians voted for peace, development and unity, hence if they are representing us, they should think Ghana first and make it a priority in every decision they take on the floor of Parliament.”
GIK/APA