President John Dramani Mahama has charged six newly sworn-in ministers with steering some of the country’s most vital sectors, emphasizing the critical importance of their roles in the administration’s vision for Ghana’s progress.
The ministers, approved by Parliament on Tuesday, January 21, were officially inaugurated at a ceremony held at the Jubilee House.
The appointees include Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as Minister for Finance, Dr. Dominic Ayine as Attorney General, John Jinapor as Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Haruna Iddrisu as Minister for Education, Eric Opoku as Minister for Food and Agriculture, and Governs Kwame Agbodza as Minister for Roads and Highways.
President Mahama, addressing the appointees, following a swearing-in ceremony at the Jubilee House today, underscored the significance of their portfolios, describing them as pivotal to the nation’s development.
“I’ve just sworn you in, the first six ministers who are responsible for perhaps the most critical sectors of our national life, especially economy and energy sectors,” he said.
In his remarks, the President outlined specific responsibilities for each minister, reflecting the expectations of Ghanaians:
To the Finance Minister, he said, “The people of Ghana are looking up to you, Dr. Forson, to reduce inflation and make life more affordable, to lower the cost of living, to make our debt level sustainable, to stabilize our currency, and to rein in the deficit so we can achieve macroeconomic stability.”
Turning to the energy sector, President Mahama stated, “Mr. Jinapor, Ghanaians are looking for stable and efficient power supply. They are also looking at you to manage the energy sector debt.”
He charged the new Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, with ensuring food security and affordable prices. “Ghanaians are looking for food security and cheap, affordable food to fill their stomachs,” he said.
For Governs Kwame Agbodza, now heading the Roads and Highways Ministry, the President acknowledged the immense challenge of addressing the country’s infrastructure needs. “Everybody in Ghana is complaining about bad roads. You have the duty not only to maintain existing roads but to provide new roads for smooth transportation.”
In the education sector, Haruna Iddrisu was tasked with ensuring quality education and equipping the youth with employable skills. “Probably one of the most complex sectors, that is Education, the Honourable Haruna Iddrisu is supposed to work to develop Ghana to ensure quality education and to ensure that they equip our young people with the skills they need to go into the world of work,” President Mahama said.
Finally, addressing the Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, the President highlighted the need for fairness in the justice system. “The Attorney General will be required to reform our justice system to make it fair and transparent to all Ghanaians,” he remarked.
The President’s words set a clear mandate for the newly inducted ministers to deliver transformative leadership in their respective areas of responsibility.
