Editor of the Newscenta Newspaper, Elvis Darko, has called on the government to appoint technocrats and professionals with sector-specific expertise to lead Ghana’s critical ministries and state institutions.
Mr Darko argued that individuals appointed to head sensitive institutions should possess a strong understanding of the sectors they oversee, particularly in areas where policy decisions could have implications for national security and other specialised aspects of governance.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Monday, August 10, he said Ghana’s development could be hampered when individuals without adequate technical knowledge are placed in charge of institutions that require specialised expertise.
His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s recent Cabinet reshuffle, which saw Works, Housing and Water Resources Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei reassigned to the Ministry of Defence.
Mr Darko questioned the decision to appoint a civilian with limited security experience to lead the Defence Ministry, particularly given Ghana’s location within what he described as a volatile West African sub-region.
“I don’t see how somebody who knows next to nothing about security is the head of the ministry,” he said.
He argued that Ghana has several serving and retired security professionals with the requisite experience to manage the country’s defence and security affairs.
Mr Darko also raised concerns about the appointment of civilians to both ministerial and deputy ministerial positions at the Defence Ministry, saying such appointments could pose challenges in dealing with complex security issues.
“So I ask myself, how is this person going to understand matters of security when the heads of the various security agencies are pushing certain things?” he said.
According to him, ministers without sufficient sector knowledge may struggle to properly evaluate the advice and recommendations of professionals working under them, despite having the final authority over decisions within their ministries.
He argued that this could undermine effective governance and contribute to Ghana’s development challenges.
“For me, one of the reasons I think our development is struggling is because of this kind of appointments to key institutions where the person will have final say in that institution, has no idea, next to nothing about the sector, but is the minister and is the one who will have final say on issues when it comes to the sector,” he added.
