President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana has sworn in 17 ministers, including eight regional ministers and dished out instructions that all official foreign trips by ministers and other government appointees should be taken with modesty and not on first class tickets.
According to President Mahama, the directive is part of the efforts to cut down cost by the government.
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony on Friday, President Mahama said: “I’ve asked the Chief of Staff to write to all government appointees that I have imposed a ban on non-essential travel forthwith to cut down expenditure.”
“Any travel that is deemed essential and necessary must be cleared first with the office of the Chief of Staff. As such, travels will have to be undertaken in modesty, no first class.”
Local media reports on Monday said that President Mahama cautioned the ministers and appointees that all traces of affluence and lavish lifestyle should be avoided.
The reports added that President Mahama said that Ghanaians were enduring difficult times occasioned by hardships resulting from the economic mismanagement of the last eight years and declared that “ours is to work to lift them out of this hole, not to compound it further”.
He warned that there would be no room for arrogance and pomposity in his government and respect must be given to the Ghanaian people who voted for them.
GIK/APA