The Alliance for Footsoldiers Alliance (AFFA) has expressed disappointment in President Akufo-Addo’s response to several calls for him to reshuffle his ministers.
Executive Secretary of AFFA Daniel Adomako, aka Sir Obama-Pokuase, said the response from the President was not only disappointing, but it did not resonate with the people.
Speaking to North Star Radio in Tamale on Monday, August 8, the President explained why reshuffling might not be an option in his government.
The President said the calls for a reshuffle are being fueled by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to destabilise his government.
“Many of them for me have done outstanding work. Their output has been considerable, and that is what I look at.
“If the output measures expectations, then I don’t have any strong reasons to heed the call. The calls come for all kinds of reasons; NDC wanting to destabilise the government is one. There are people who are also looking for jobs,” President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo shared.
But AFFA’s Executive Secretary said, ”AFFA is disappointed with the response or reaction from the President with regards to reshuffle. We made a passion to the President for him to reshuffle, and in appealing, we were guided by the constitution of Ghana, specifically 78(1) and 79(1), which gives the President the exclusive mandate to appoint his ministers and deputy ministers.
However, the fact remains that NPP footsoldiers, NPP sympathizers and the rank and file are also stakeholders in the government. Ordinary people who are not even members of the NPP are stakeholders in the government. Although the President has the exclusive right to appoint and disappoint, we appealed to the premise of growing concerns for a reshuffle.
He stated that since 2017, ”there are some places the president has refused to make changes but ”unfortunately, the response we expected is not what we got. The final authority rest with the president. AFFA is disappointed, however, we respect the decision of the president. At the end of the day, he is the final authority on this matter, and there is nothing further we can do than to respect his decision”.
He further asserted that if the output of his appointees were outstanding, in the words of the president, as the president claimed, we would not have had the rank and file of the party calling for a reshuffle.
He said Ghanaians are complaining, and as a group, they are not oblivious of the effects of the Russian-Ukraine war and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we believe that if you continue to do the same thing all the time, you will not get the results you want”.
”The grassroots of the party are not feeling the outstanding effects of the performance of the ministers, and that is why they make thee calls for a reshuffle,” he added.
He quizzed ”As a party that prides itself with we have the men mantra; if we [NPP] have the men, is this particular current crop of men our best bet such that we cannot do any substitution to bring any new faces to come and also come and help?”
By: Rashid Obodai Provencal/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
