You Can’t Reassign Ministers; Dafeamekpor Challenges Prez

The Member of Parliament for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor has challenged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s decision to re-assign six Ministers.

He posits that the Ministers should rather have been reappointed for Parliamentary approval.

Six ministers including Henry Quartey, Francis Asenso Boakye, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Ambrose Dery, Mohammed Amin Adam and Abdulai Abanga have been reassigned to new roles following Wednesday’s announced reshuffle.

Former Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey is now the Minister for State at the Interior Ministry with former Minister for Works and Housing Francis Asenso Boakye taking over as the Minister of State at the Ministry of Roads and Highways and former Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah taking over as Minister of State at the Works and Housing Ministry.

Ambrose Dery is now a Minister of State at the Office of the President while Mohammed Amin Adam takes over as the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry. The former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Abdulai Abanga is also taking over as Deputy Minister of State at the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.

In a post on X, the lawmaker cited the President for breaching Article 81 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

“Art 81 states: ‘The Office of a Minister of State or a Deputy Minister shall become vacant if (a) his Appointment is Revoked by the President.’ This means the Prez has revoked the appointments of these Ministers. Prez cannot “re-assign” those revoked but ‘re-appoint’ instead.”