By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Pressure is mounting on Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama to appoint a new defence minister after Dr. Edward Omane Boamah died in a helicopter crash two months ago in a national tragedy.
Following the passing of the former defence minister, President Mahama appointed Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson to act as such until a substantive one was appointed.
However, two months down the line, the president has yet to nominate or appoint a new person for the position.
Sources within government circles and the governing party have indicated to Ghana Eye Report that the president has failed to do so because of limited choice.
The source further hinted that President Mahama had two most trusted persons within the party, one of whom was the former defence minister who has now passed, with the other occupying another sensitive position; hence, the difficulty in getting a replacement for Dr. Omane Boamah.
Meanwhile, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has raised an issue about the absence of a substantive defence minister, as impacting negatively on the national security architecture.
Rev. Fordjour has previously criticised President Mahama’s handling of military leadership changes, notably the removal of senior generals and appointment of lower-ranked officers of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
With the volume of work on the head of Dr. Ato Forson, the president is set to appoint a substantive defence minister before the Christmas break to relieve the finance minister of his workload. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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