Prime News Ghana

NPP didn't promise Ghanaians a lean government - Mustapha Hamid

By Kwasi Adu
Mustapha Hamid
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The government has strongly defended the appointment of 110 ministers of state by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The president provoked outrage today when he announced the appointment of 54 new ministers in addition to the 56 he had already appointed.

Many Ghanaians have taken to social media to condemn him for, according to them, creating a big government.

But at a press conference held in Accra on Wednesday, the information minister, Mustafa Hamid said the New Patriotic Party never promised a lean government.

He said in the running of a government numbers did not matter.

“Nowhere did we ever promise a lean government because in our view it is not the leanness or bigness of a government that determines its output or its ultimate performance.

“We have had in the history of this country governments that are smaller that have landed this country in bigger debts and bigger mess than governments that have had bigger ministers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Stephen Asare, a Ghanaian professor based in the US, has condemned President Nana Akufo-Addo's appointment of 110 ministers and deputy ministers.

In a series of reactions on Facebook, Prof. Asare said it was unfortunate that a country with 165 ambulances had 275 members of parliament and 110 ministers.

"The good Lord has blessed our homeland with 110 ministers, 275 MPs, 216 DCEs and 165 ambulances. Da Yie," he said.

Prof. Asare, who is an authority on constitutional law matters, said Akufo-Addo should have appointed no more than 20 ministers and 20 deputy ministers.

READ MORE: Why Akufo-Addo should not have appointed more than 20 ministers - Prof Asare