Prof. Gyampo Criticizes Akufo-Addo’s Governance and Advocates for Streamlined Cabinet

Professor Ransford Gyampo, a Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, has once again expressed his dissatisfaction with the governance style of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, pointing out the number of negative precedents set during his tenure.

Speaking on Accra-based TV3, Prof. Gyampo remarked that Akufo-Addo’s government was marked by a series of unprecedented events, all of which were negative. He emphasized that despite running the largest cabinet in Ghana’s history, Akufo-Addo failed to carry out any meaningful reshuffles or reduce the size of his administration, leaving what he described as a bloated and inefficient government.

“Biggest size government, everything unprecedented; he couldn’t downsize; he couldn’t do any meaningful reshuffle; he couldn’t do anything,” Gyampo lamented.

The professor’s comments come in the wake of the current administration’s decision to reduce the number of ministries from 30 to 23. Prof. Gyampo praised the move, contrasting it with the inefficiencies seen under the previous regime. He also criticized those who mocked the decision to limit the number of ministers, particularly those suggesting that the current 60 ministers proposed by President Mahama is too few.

“If you have a president who is reducing the number of ministries from 30 to 23 and says he’s going to run Ghana with 60 ministers and somebody is saying 60 is too small… they are ignorant,” Gyampo argued. “They should google this paper, Ministerial Appointment and Government Expenditure in Ghana’s 4th Republic. It makes the point that if we do the necessary scrapping, realignment, and all that, we can even run Ghana with 30 ministers.”

The professor further contended that many of the ministries created under Akufo-Addo’s leadership were simply “job for the boys,” serving no real developmental purpose. He questioned the rationale behind these appointments, especially when politicians used to boast about their financial independence prior to entering politics.

“We are talking about governing a country in a manner that brings about development,” Gyampo concluded, suggesting that the focus should be on efficiency and good governance rather than political patronage.

His remarks highlight ongoing debates about the size and structure of Ghana’s government, as the new administration seeks to implement reforms aimed at reducing waste and improving governance.