A Political Science Lecturer at the University of Education Winneba, Dr Isaac Boako, has stressed that one does not need to acquire every knowledge about a  ministry or to belong to an age group before being appointed a minister, provided he or she is qualified.

He was speaking in an interview with Sunyani based Ark FM radio station monitored by Soiree  News Bono Regional Correspondent Nana Ama Asiedu on the President’s ministerial appointments, pending their approval by the Parliamentary Vetting Committee.

President Akufo-Addo has submitted to Parliament for approval a list of names for their appointment as Ministers.

The list includes the names of 46 persons expected to fill ministerial positions for the next four years.

Ahead of the official statement, the Head of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, issued a communiqué indicating that the total number of Ministers to be appointed by President for his second term will not exceed 85.

This is in sharp contrast with the 126 ministerial appointments that characterized the President’s first term in office.

Although many of the appointees in the previous term were maintained, a few notable ones could not make it this time around.

Key among those who were excluded from the fresh list of nominees are Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama, Railways and Development Minister, Joe Ghartey, Ministry of Works and Housing Samuel Atta Akyea and Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Gloria Akuffo.

Some of the appointees who served as deputy ministers in Akufo-Addo’s first term have been elevated to become substantive ministers.

The Deputy Education Minister, Dr Yaw Adutwum, and former Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Dame, have both been elevated to serve as substantive ministers.

Ken Ofori-Atta has been maintained at the Finance Ministry alongside Alan Kyeremanten who will keep his position as the Trade and Industry Minister.

The MP for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful stays at the Communications Ministry while MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah will continue to serve as Information Minister. While MP for Dormaa Central, Kwaku Agyemang Manu is still Minister of Health and MP for Sunyani West, Ignatius Baffour Awuah remains the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations.

Meanwhile, some new faces have been introduced.

The MP for Ahanta West, Kojo Kum has been posted to the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Ministry, whilst the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry will be headed by the MP for Damongo, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor.

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Further, a total of seven ministries, namely Aviation, Business Development, Inner City and Zongo Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Planning, Regional Re-organization and Development, and Special Development Initiatives, have either been absorbed into or aligned with other ministries or government agencies.

The Office of the Senior Minister has, however, been abolished.

According to the President, the special-purpose Ministries have all achieved the purposes for which they were established, hence, the changes.

In all, President Akufo-Addo announced a total of 30 Ministers, and 16 Regional Ministers, bringing the total number of Ministers to 46, eight of whom are women – six ministers and two Regional Ministers.

Francis Asenso Boakye and Samuel Abulai Jinapor are people who seem to be young among the President’s list of appointed Ministers who are to head the Works and Housing and the Lands and Natural Resources ministries respectively. Their appointments have however attracted lots of controversies, including claims that some of them are too young to occupy such positions.

But Dr Brako commenting on the development stated that the new government needs fresh blood to work harder for the government.

"Fresh blood they say bring fresh ideas.  The new ones have been brought in for new ideas and energy. The tired ones must always be given a rest for new people to be introduced to strengthen the former administration. Ministers are amateurs and you don't need a highly educated person to become one. They are purposely to serve, and that is what they are meant to.

"You don't need Methuselah status to be able to serve. They are novice and acts in the vision of the President. 

He added that the President listened to complaints by Ghanaians about the size of his administration in the first term hence the slash in his second tenure of office.