John Dramani Mahama, the candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has declared that his ministers and other appointees won’t be eligible for ex-gratia if he wins the 2024 elections.
The former president promised not to make the same mistakes the NPP government did in his acceptance speech following his selection as the NDC’s flagbearer.
He pledged not to enlarge the size of his administration.
In order to protect the public purse, Mr. Mahama stated in a speech at the University for Development Studies in Tamale that his next administration will have fewer than 60 ministers.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, our nation is still at the crossroads with crippling debt, and an inefficient and wasteful government. We cannot continue this pathway. It is a betrayal of the people, as a leader, to keep doing things the same way when the results leave them poorer”.
“I am committed to operating an effective government with not more than sixty (60) ministers. These Ministers together with other appointees of the government will not be entitled to ex-gratia payments after their tenure, as they will commit to that undertaking even before the necessary constitutional amendments, including a review of the controversial Article 71.”
In March 2023, at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Cedi auditorium in Ho in the Volta Region, Mr. Mahama announced his intention to appoint no more than sixty ministers and deputies should he win the 2024 presidential election.
In a related news, former finance minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has finally spoken after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) organized a peaceful primaries in which John Mahama was elected as the flagbearer.
After the news that Dr. Kwabena Duffuor was no longer going to contest with Mahama and Kojo Bonsu before the Primaries on Saturday, 13th May, 2023, there were rumours that the former governor of the Bank of Ghana would bow out of the NDC and form his own party.
The former finance minster stated categorically that he has no intentions of leaving NDC, neither will he forming his own party.
