The former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tamale, Mr. Iddrisu Musah, also known as Musah Superior, has voiced strong opposition to the Ghanaian government’s recent restructuring of ministries, a move aimed at streamlining the administration. President John Dramani Mahama’s restructuring, implemented through the Civil Service (Ministries) Instrument, 2025 (E.I. 1), reduced the number of ministries from 30 to 23. While the government presented this as a cost-saving measure and an attempt to improve efficiency, Mr. Iddrisu argues that the elimination of certain ministries, particularly the National Security and Sanitation ministries, is detrimental to the nation’s well-being. He emphasizes the crucial roles these ministries played in maintaining national security and public health, respectively, and questions the wisdom of their removal. He contends that a robust security apparatus requires dedicated cabinet-level oversight to effectively address internal and external threats, ensuring the safety of citizens. Similarly, he posits that sanitation, a critical component of public health, warrants dedicated ministerial attention.
Mr. Iddrisu’s critique extends beyond the elimination of ministries to encompass the restructuring and creation of new ones. He specifically questions the rationale behind establishing a separate Ministry for Youth Development and Empowerment. He argues that youth development initiatives should be integrated into existing educational frameworks and training programs, rather than being treated as a standalone portfolio. He suggests that a dedicated desk within the Presidency would have been a more efficient and cost-effective approach to addressing youth-related concerns. This, he argues, would avoid the bureaucratic overhead associated with a full-fledged ministry while still providing focused attention to youth issues. He further challenges the decision to incorporate agribusiness into the Ministry of Trade and Industry, questioning the logic of separating it from the Ministry of Agriculture, which he sees as its natural home. He advocates for a robust unit within the Ministry of Agriculture to handle agribusiness matters, ensuring a more cohesive and integrated approach.
The crux of Mr. Iddrisu’s argument is that the government’s restructuring efforts have misidentified areas for streamlining. Rather than focusing on eliminating crucial ministries like National Security and Sanitation, he believes the government should have concentrated on eliminating redundancies and overlapping responsibilities within the existing ministerial structure. He argues that a more thorough analysis of ministerial functions would have revealed opportunities for consolidation and streamlining without compromising essential services. He suggests that a more strategic approach would have been to identify and eliminate overlapping functions across different ministries, thereby creating a more efficient and less fragmented government structure.
Furthermore, Mr. Iddrisu expresses concern that the restructuring has not adequately addressed the underlying issues contributing to government bloat and inefficiency. He argues that simply reducing the number of ministries without addressing the underlying bureaucratic inefficiencies and lack of coordination between government agencies will not yield the desired results. He stresses the need for a comprehensive review of government operations, focusing on improving inter-ministerial communication and collaboration, streamlining bureaucratic processes, and enhancing transparency and accountability. He believes that a more holistic approach to government reform, one that addresses both structural and operational issues, is essential for achieving meaningful improvements in efficiency and effectiveness.
In addition to his criticisms of the ministerial restructuring, Mr. Iddrisu calls on the government to fulfill its promise of abolishing certain taxes, including the e-levy, betting tax, and COVID-19 levy. He contends that these taxes place an undue burden on Ghanaians, particularly those in lower income brackets, and their removal would provide much-needed economic relief. He emphasizes the importance of the government upholding its commitments to the people, particularly in matters of economic policy, to maintain public trust and confidence. He reminds the government that Ghanaians are keenly awaiting the implementation of these promised tax cuts and urges them to prioritize this issue.
In conclusion, Mr. Iddrisu Musah’s critique of the government’s ministerial restructuring highlights the importance of carefully considering the potential consequences of such decisions. He argues that the government’s focus on reducing the number of ministries, while seemingly a cost-saving measure, has led to the elimination of crucial portfolios responsible for national security and public health. He further contends that the restructuring has created new inefficiencies and redundancies, ultimately undermining the government’s stated goal of streamlining the administration. He calls on the government to reconsider its approach, focusing on optimizing existing structures and streamlining internal processes rather than eliminating essential services. He also stresses the importance of fulfilling its promise to abolish certain taxes to alleviate the economic burden on citizens and maintain public trust.
