TEERE APPLAUDS PREZ NANA ADDO FOR SCRAPPING DEPUTY REGIONAL MINISTERIAL PORTFOLIO 1st FEBRUARY, 2021

A frontline local governance-centered Non-Governmental Organisation [NGO] based in the Upper East Regional capital of Bolgatanga, TEERE has commended the President, H.E Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his bold decision announced about a fortnight ago bringing to an end, the decades old political appointments portfolio of Deputy Regional Ministers. The commendation was contained in a Press Release signed by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of TEERE, Mr. Maxwell Banu and issued on Monday, 1st February, 2021.

Dep. CEO, Mr. Banu at a Forum
 

The Release stated in parts that, the bold decision as may be widely known by now, forms part of efforts geared at reducing the hitherto, huge size of government seen since 2017 with the coming into office of the Nana Addo-led administration. It was therefore a big relief to the Ghanaian tax payer and political analysts as well as other stakeholders such as TEERE, when the Presidency through a Press Statement on January 21, 2021, announced that a list of proposed Sector Ministers and Regional Ministers, had been transmitted to Ghana’s Legislature [the Parliament] for vetting without Deputy Regional Ministers in the formation of his new government.

What is worthy of recall here is that, TEERE has long advocated and indeed, championed through several fora, on the need to scrap the position of Deputy Regional Ministers in Ghana’s body politic and by extension, do away with other similar Deputy Ministerial portfolios at the Sector Ministries.

As part of this advocacy, TEERE in 2018 organised two round table discussions on the topic “The Relevance of Deputy Regional Ministers in Local Governance”. These were held in Bolgatanga, during which civil society representatives and government sector participants discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the Deputy Regional Ministers in the country’s governance structure.

Mr. Banu revealed in his Press Release that during the consultations, it was unanimously agreed that the Deputy Regional Ministers do not bring much to the table, particularly so when they were unable to act in the absence of the substantive Regional Ministers. He emphasized that, in the view of TEERE, the Deputy Regional Minister’s office was not only under-utilised, but a waste of public resources, hence the need for its abolishment.

The Deputy CEO remarked – “We are therefore, excited by the President’s bold and positive decision not to appoint Deputy Regional Ministers in his current government. The Regional Ministers must be encouraged and supported to work harmoniously with the technocrats in the civil and public services, to deliver on the mandate of the government”. He noted that President’s proposed additional downsizing of government to a total of 85 Ministers in the current government from the previous 126 ministers, was a very welcoming first step but further urged the President and indeed future Presidents, to consider reducing the number of sector ministers and also, appointing only one deputy to each Ministry.

A Logo of TEERE

The TEERE Local Governance Forum [TLGF] which has been successfully implemented in some selected districts across the Upper East Region over the past few years, empowers the voiceless to effectively participate in their own developmental affairs and to engage duty bearers on issues of prior concern to them.

Mr. Banu ended his Press Release by giving special thanks to the Robert Bosch Foundation of Germany for funding the implementation of the TLGF programme as well as the Senior Experten Service [SES] also, of Germany for extending critical expertise on governance to TEERE. He gave the assurance that TEERE was committed to strengthening and securing the active participation of citizens in all matters affecting their lives through local collective actions and also appreciated the consistent efforts of Mr. Gerhard Lauth, who provided technical assistance to the programme and indeed, made time from his tight schedules in Germany to join in the Bongo, Pelungu and other field engagements with community members.

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