13 More Ministers Take Oath Of Office

By Edmund Mingle
Thursday, 19 February 2009

The President, Professor J.E.A. Mills, yesterday swore into office the second batch of 13 Ministers in his administration, and urged them to make a difference in their areas of appointment.
“As frontline officers of the government, you have to address the concerns and worries of Ghanaians that stretch from pay-day to pay-day,” he told the new ministers after they had taken their oaths of office.
The second batch of ministers, who swore the oaths of Minister of State, Allegiance and Secrecy, was made up of nine regional and four sector Ministers.
They are Lieutenant-General Joseph Henry Smith, for Defence; Haruna Iddrisu, Communication; Hannah Tetteh, Trade and Industry and Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, Youth and Sports.
The Regional Ministers are Paul Evans Aidoo,Western; Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Central; Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Eastern; Nii Armah Ashitey, Greater Accra; Joseph Amenorwode, Volta; Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Brong-Ahafo; Kofi Opoku-Manu, Ashanti; Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern and Alhaji Mahmud Khalid, Upper West.
President Mills reiterated his call to the Ministers to be humble, honest, transparent and hardworking, and asked them to be non-partisan in addressing national issues.
“Always remember where we have come from, and work to the benefit of the people,” he said, adding that “we have to justify the confidence the people have reposed in us.”
He reminded the new appointees that the government has taken office at a time when socio-economic base of the country has changed, citing the effects of the global financial crisis, increased unemployment, poverty and poor infrastructure, among others, and so stressed the need for them to work extra hard to make living conditions bearable for the citizenry.
“We can no longer depend on the largesse of development partners,” he said.
He also urged them to share the resources of the nation more equitably, bearing in mind those who are in need most saying their performance would determine whether Ghanaians would give them another opportunity when they go back to the electorate for the 2012 election.
For his part, the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, congratulated the appointees on the achievement and stressed the need for them to be modest.
He urged the Regional Ministers to be non-partisan and do well to effectively address conflicts in their areas.
He also asked them to be law abiding, and “separate criminality from politics.” “If people commit crime, they should be punished for it accordingly irrespective of their political affiliation,” he said.
Ms. Hannah Tetteh, who spoke on behalf of her colleagues, thanked the President for the opportunity given them, and assured him that the confidence reposed in them was not misplaced.
She said they were aware of the aspirations of the people and that “we will hit the ground running and work with you to deliver on the promises made to Ghanaians.