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Mills:
Accountability awaits us
Accra, Feb. 18, Ghanadot/GNA
- President John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday, reiterated
his message of modesty to appointees under his
administration, reminding them to judiciously manage the
nation’s resources to meet the challenges of changing world
economic and social order.
As he swore the second batch of 13 Ministers approved by
Parliament, at the Castle, Osu, the President said the
nation could no longer depend on the largesse and generosity
of Development Partners and needed to take emergency steps
to meet the aspirations of the Ghanaian.
The President administered the Oath of Allegiance, oath of
Minister of State and the oath of Secrecy to the Ministers,
and presented their Instruments of Office to the Ministers,
made of nine Regional Ministers and four others with
different portfolios.
The Regional Ministers were: Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Minister
for Western Region; Mr Samuel Ofosu- Ampofo, Minister for
Eastern Region and Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, Ashanti Regional
Minister.
Others are Mrs Ama Benyiwa- Doe, Central Regional Minister;
Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister and
Mr Mahmoud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister.
The rest are Nii Armah Ashietey, Greater Accra Regional
Minister; Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister and
Mr Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern Regional Minister.
The four others Ministers were: Lt Gen (rtd) Joseph Henry
Smith, Minister of Defence; Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of
Communications; Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and
Industry; and Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, Minister of Youth and
Sports.
President Mills said the Ministers must be at the frontline
of the nation’s development as they were elected by the
people with definite concerns, which stretched “from pay day
to pay day” adding that they were going there as
representatives of the people.
He called on them to exhibit honesty, watch their lifestyles
and be humble in their duties.
Presindent Mills urged the Ministers “to look back and
examine where they were coming from”, reminding them that
they had to justify the confidence he and Ghanaians had in
them.
He said their performance in office would determine whether
their mandate would be renewed or rejected in 2012,
reminding them that, “it had not been easy choosing them
from the array of expertise available within the ruling
National Democratic Congress (NDC)”.
The President added that he was ready to defend his choice
of Ministers, and called on them to let people feel that
they were Ministers “who cared for the people of the
country, let people know that politicians could make a
difference”.
President Mills called on the Ministers to share the
resources of the nation equally, bearing in mind, the people
who are deprived.
He urged them to start work immediately, and prayed for
God’s blessing and good wishes.
“I hope He (God) will shower us with his bountiful blessing,
and truly God will make our nation great and strong,”
President Mills said.
Vice President John Dramani Mahama cautioned the Ministers
to rise above partisanship in the discharge of their duties,
saying that, the days when politicians went after the
business of political opponents were gone.
He urged the Ministers to be even-handed, but not to
abdicate their ties with their party.
He urged the Ministers to avoid abuse of office and
conflict.
However they should let the law apply and punish wrong doing
according to law and separate criminality from politics.
“You need to have a firm hand and punish people who acted
with criminality,” Vice President Mahama said, and urged the
in-coming Northern Regional Minister to take steps to
retrieve guns that were in illegal possession in the
Northern Region.
Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, an Elder of the NDC urged the
Ministers to work very hard and be sincere with the people
of Ghana as well as paying attention to all sections of the
Ghanaian society.
“Every Tom, Dick and Harry, listen to them and make your
decisions,” Alhaji Iddrisu said.
Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister for Trade and Industry, on behalf
of her colleagues assured the President and Ghanaians that
they would “hit the ground running” and with the “president,
build a better Ghana”.
GNA
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