By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said on Monday that President John Dramani Mahama is not under pressure and will appoint a substantive Minister for Defence in due course.
The comment follows pressure from some Ghanaians calling on the president to appoint a defence minister to address national security concerns.
Kwakye Ofosu dismissed concerns about any difficulty in appointing a successor, reaffirming President Mahama’s administration’s commitment to filling the leadership void at the Defence Ministry to operate effectively and in alignment with national security priorities.
“President Mahama fully understands his responsibilities, and whereas he had a close relationship with the late Minister Omane Boamah, the president is pragmatic and professional enough to understand that life has gone on,” he told an Accra-based Channel One TV.
“Whatever needs to be done will be done to ensure that the Defence Ministry has the best of leadership and the policies that they implement contribute to the overall development of our country and ensure our safety and security. In due course, that announcement will be made,” he further stated.
Former Minister for Defence and close confidant of the President, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, died with four other government officials and three crew members in a helicopter crash on August 6 at Akrofuom near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
President Mahama subsequently appointed Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson to act at the Defence Ministry until a substantive one was appointed.
Two months after the incident, calls have come from former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul and Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, for the president to appoint a substantive Defence Minister.
Nitiwul, Member of Parliament for Bimbila, expressed concern over the delay, noting that the increasing threats of terrorism and insecurity across the West African sub-region demand strong and focused leadership at Ghana’s Defence Ministry.
He urged President Mahama to act swiftly, whether by elevating the current deputy minister or nominating a new appointee, to ensure continuity and stability in the nation’s defence administration. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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