An appeal has been made to President-elect John Dramani Mahama to stand firm as he prepares to appoint his ministers, deputies, and MMDAs Chief Executives.
According to Nana Kweku Ofori-Atta, such decisions carry significant consequences that could either enhance or diminish a government’s popularity and affect its future prospects.
The security analyst who made the appeal urged Mr Mahama to resist attempts by lobbyists seeking to influence appointments in his government.
Speaking to the media, he stated that the overwhelming support Ghanaians showed for Mr Mahama and his party had placed a heavy responsibility on the president-elect to fulfil his campaign promises without fail.
“This is the time when many lobbyists begin frequenting the corridors of power to secure appointments for their preferred candidates. I am certain this process may have already started. While lobbying is not inherently bad, it often leads to square pegs being placed in round holes, disrupting the system because some appointees are not chosen based on merit,” he emphasized.
He appealed to Mr Mahama to rely not only on his discretion but also on his extensive experience to appoint individuals he can work with to drive the transformative change Ghanaians expect.
“In light of this, I firmly believe Mr. Mahama must remain resolute and address any external pressures that may arise. More importantly, he only has a four-year term, and if any of his appointees underperform, Mr. Mahama will bear the consequences and retire with that record,” Nana Ofori-Atta explained.
He, therefore, urged the president-elect to carefully select appointees whose conduct and actions reflect his values, avoiding individuals who could embroil his government in scandals.
“Let me reiterate that since the inception of the Fourth Republic, appointees of past and successive governments have often been the source of disgrace, and this is not unfamiliar to Mr. Mahama,” he added.
Nana Ofori-Atta further encouraged Mr Mahama to prioritize merit in his appointments, selecting individuals of integrity who would not tolerate corruption, which continues to hinder national development.
By: Bernice Nkrumah/newsalertgh.com
