The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s commitment to limit the number of ministers to 50 if elected as Ghana’s next president.
Dr. Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, made this promise during the party’s manifesto launch in Takoradi on Sunday, August 18, emphasizing that efficient governance does not require a large number of ministers.
However, Deputy Minority Whip Ahmed Ibrahim questioned the credibility of this pledge, highlighting the significant number of officials currently working under Dr. Bawumia as Vice President.
According to Ibrahim, the staff at Dr. Bawumia’s office exceeds the total number of ministers in the Akufo-Addo government, casting doubt on his ability to govern with a lean team.
“[At] Dr. Mahamudu Bamwumia’s office alone, the number of people, technical advisors, spokespersons who are there, are more than the 123 ministers that he is talking of. When you see anybody who has no official appointment and is using V8, the person works in Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s office. And that is why the land cruisers have now become common,” Ibrahim stated.
He further argued that Dr. Bawumia’s office could not maintain a lean government with 50 ministers while employing over 100 special aides, suggesting this aspect also requires scrutiny.
Ahmed Ibrahim also expressed disappointment with the NPP’s manifesto, particularly its omission of strategies to address Ghana’s mounting debt. He criticized the manifesto for not providing a clear plan to manage the nation’s debt burden, especially considering the deferral of debt servicing to 2026.
“You have collapsed the economy and the most serious thing that I was waiting to hear from them was how we are going to deal with the challenge of servicing our debt. I didn’t hear that thing from them. It means they were not trustworthy, and they were not straightforward with Ghanaians,” Ibrahim remarked.
He warned that the deferred debt payments could lead to significant economic hardship when they resume in 2026.
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