Double woes? Maybe. It is increasingly becoming evident that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is purging his government of persons he perhaps believes did not perform as efficiently as was expected of them, given the opportunity.
Mr Akufo-Addo is still yet to officially name ministers who will serve in his second term but some reports have already emerged, with projections of dropped, maintained and reshuffled ministers.
Among these projections has surfaced the names of some 23 MPs of the seventh parliament who lost their seats in the December 7, 2020 polls.
According to a report by Accra-based station, Asaaseradio, all 23 individuals who lost to their opponents in the parliamentary elections last year will no longer hold any of those positions, neither will they be given any new ones.
These are the affected persons as named by the report:
Prof. George Gyan Baffour, former Minister for Planning and former MP of Wenchi; Deputy Aviation Minister and former Jaman MP, Yaw Afful; and Siaka Stephens, former Deputy Bono Regional Minister will have to forfeit their positions after failing to secure the votes of their respective constituents.
Former Upper East Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage who contested for the Navrongo Central seat lost to her contender by a large margin and is expected to drop her position.
George Oduro who contested for the New Edubiase seat will give up his role as a Deputy Minister of Agriculture whilst the Bono East Regional Minister, Kofi Amoakohene of Atebubu Amanten and Deputy Defence Minister, Derrick Oduro who lost the Nkoranza North seat give up their positions after losing.
The four persons who will not be retaining their ministerial positions from the Central Region include Former Awutu Senya MP and Former Gomoa West MP, George Andah, and Alexander Abban respectively, who both doubled as Deputy Communications Minister, Cape Coast North Former MP, Barbara Asher Ayisi who was Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, former Ekumfi MP and Deputy Fisheries Minister, Francis Kingsley Cudjoe.
Joseph Tetteh who served as MP for Upper Manya Krobo and doubled as Eastern Regional Minister, according to the report, is very likely not to appear in the new list of appointed ministers.
Boniface Abubakar Saddique, Minister of State and former Madina MP; Titus Glover, Former Tema East MP and Deputy Transport Minister; the former MP for Ledzokuku Bernard Okoe Boye, the immediate past Deputy Minister of Health); and the former MP for Krowor Elizabeth Afoley Quaye (ex-Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture) may also be affected.
Others who are likely to lose the opportunity to work under President Akufo-Addo’s second administration include;
MP for Nalerigu/Gambaga in the North East Region Hajia Alima Mahama, who was the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development;
The former MP for Krachi East in the Oti Region Michael Gyato, who was the Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation;
From Tempane in the Upper East, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, who was a Deputy Attorney General;
The former MP for Zebilla (Upper East) Adongo Frank Fuseini, who was the Deputy Upper East Regional Minister;
The former MP for Navrongo Central (Upper East Region) and Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda, who lost the seat in the NPP primaries;
The former MP for Lawra (Upper West) Anthony Karbo, who was the deputy Roads Minister;
The former MP for Jomoro (Western Region) Paul Essien, who served as the Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy Affairs;
and the former MP for Prestea Huni Valley (Western Region) Barbara Oteng Gyasi, who was the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture.
Hajia Alima Mahama, Anthony Karbo and Abubakar Boniface Saddique