On Saturday, January 14, 2023, President Akufo-Addo left Ghana for the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but he did not reveal the much-anticipated list of ministers who would be replaced, as almost everyone in his government and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had been expecting.
Prior to the weekend, there were whispers in the halls of power that the President would announce the ministry shuffle before departing for Dubai, so all parties involved had crossed their fingers.
Truth be told, the Presidency hasn’t formally indicated that there would be any changes to the President’s cabinet, but close-knit sources have been rumbling about them since last December, when Parliament was scheduled to take a break.
Without a reshuffle announcement, Parliament recessed. Later, there were rumors that the President would make the news during his New Year’s message on January 1st, however that rumor was also untrue.
However, despite claims to the contrary, President Akufo-Addo never made the statement in his address on January 7. And lastly, the announcement that was supposed to be made before the Old Man traveled to Dubai never happened.
If there is a Ministerial reshuffle list at all, the President has taken it with him and is keeping it to himself. On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, when he comes to Ghana, he might reveal this alleged list.
Following reports of a large planned reshuffle, lobbyists hoping to be placed into specific positions in the current Akufo-Addo cabinet appear to be particularly agitated over the delay.
Others are pinning their hopes on promises made to them by particular power brokers they refer to as political godfathers, and some people are optimistic they could be considered for certain important Ministerial positions in the current government based on what they have been promised in camera.
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) rank and file is unsure of who will actually be retained or removed from office before the 2024 elections due to the nerve-wracking situation.
