President nominates 12 more ministers

 President John Dramani Mahama has made 12 fresh ministerial nominations as he continues to put his govern­ment in shape.

Included in the fresh nomi­nations are three regional ministers.

The nominees are Adaklu MP, Kwame Agbodza, Roads and Highways; Tama­le South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, Education; Banda MP, Ahmed Ibrahim, Local Govern­ment, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and Asunafo South MP, Eric Opoku, Food and Agriculture.

Others are Krowor MP, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Gender, Children and Social Protection; Ketu South MP, Dzifa Abla Go­mashie, Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts; Shama MP, Emelia Arthur, Fisheries and Aquaculture; Techiman North MP, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Trade, Industry and Agri­business and George Opare-Addo, Youth, Development and Empowerment.

Mr Kwame Agbodza-Roads Mr Wilbert Petty Brentum, Western North Region Ms Dzifa Abla Gomashie,Tourism

Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare,Trade Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Gende Mr George Opare-Addo,Youth Development Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, Local Government Mr Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere, Central Region Mr Eric Opoku, Food and Agriculture Mr George Opare-Addo,Youth Development Mr George Opare-Addo,Youth Development Mr Joseph Nelson, Western Region

The regional ministerial nominees are Wilbert Petty Brentum, Western North, Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere, Central and Joseph Nelson, Western Region.

This brings to 25 the ministerial nominees the President has penned down and submit­ted to Parliament for approval from the 60 promised.

Of the nominees thus far are 18 men – 72 per cent and seven women, constituting 28 per cent of the nominations.

Earlier, the President had named his nominees for the ministries of Finance, Energy, and Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and subsequently, 10 regional minister nominees.

Kwame Governs Agbodza is a Ghanaian architect and politician with extensive experi­ence in architectural design and project man­agement. A chartered architect, he earned his qualifications from KNUST, Westminster University, and East London University. As principal consultant at Kay + Partners Ltd., he has managed major projects in health­care, education, and residential development across Ghana and the UK. Since 2013, he has been the Member of Parliament for Adaklu, rising through parliamentary ranks as Deputy Ranking Member, Ranking Member, Minority Chief Whip, and now Majority Chief Whip of the 9th Parliament. He is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Ghana Institute of Architects.

Haruna Iddrisu is a politician, lawyer, business magnate, and leader with extensive experience in Ghana’s Parliament. He has held roles ranging from Deputy Ranking Member to Majority and Minority leader in various parliaments under the Fourth Republic. He has also served as Minister for Employment and Labour Relations and Minister for Communications. Mr Iddrisu has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Ghana and also a Barris­ter-at-Law and Member of the Ghana Bar Association since 2002.

Ahmed Ibrahim is a Ghanaian politician and public servant. He holds an MBA in Finance from GIMPA and a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Ghana, Since 2009, he has served as a Member of Parliament, representing Tain and later Banda constituencies, and has held leadership roles such as Deputy Majority and Minority Whip. A former CEO of Flamin­go Publications Ghana Ltd., Ahmed has participated in international workshops on parliamentary governance and telecommu­nications.

Eric Opoku is a seasoned politician with expertise in law, agriculture, and leadership. With over 12 years of parliamentary experi­ence, he has risen from the back benches to become the Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Law from KNUST and an LLM (Dis­tinction) in International Business Law from the University of Essex, UK. He has also earned certification in International Legis­lative Drafting and Fisheries Management from the United States.

Agnes Naa Momo Lartey is a seasoned legislator and development expert with over 20 years of experience managing projects in governance, health, education, and women’s rights. As the Member of Parliament for Krowor Constituency, she serves on key parliamentary committees, shaping national policy and advancing gender and commu­nity-focused initiatives. With a Ph.D. in African Studies, Dr Lartey has held leader­ship roles such as General Secretary of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) and Executive Director of the Global Initiative Rights & Develop­ment (GIRD), demonstrating expertise in leadership, advocacy, and grassroots empow­erment.

Abla Dzifa Gomashie is a politician and creative arts expert with decades of expe­rience in advocacy and youth leadership. As the two-term Member of Parliament for the Ketu South Constituency she has championed development and community support initiatives. She previously served as Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, where she championed the promotion of Ghanaian culture and tourism through theatre arts, a lifelong passion that has endeared her to Ghanaians at home and abroad. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class) and an MPhil in African Studies from the University of Ghana and an Hon­orary Doctor of Leadership from the Global Center for Transformational Leadership.

Emelia Arthur is a development specialist with expertise in local governance, natural resource management, and gender inclu­sion. A former Presidential Staffer, Deputy Regional Minister, and District Chief Exec­utive, she has led policy alignment, capaci­ty-building, and participatory planning initia­tives. As a consultant, she has worked with organisations such as USAID and IUCN, designing advocacy strategies and facilitating leadership training across Africa. With aca­demic credentials from Yale University and GIMPA, Madam Arthur integrates strategic planning with inclusive development to drive sustainable change.

Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare is a lawyer, international relations expert, business executive, and politician with two decades of experience in legal practice and advo­cacy. She has served at the strategic level on several boards, driving performance in multi- million-dollar companies. As Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, she led initiatives to promote Ghana as a prime tourism destination and fostered collab­orations with the creative arts industries. George Opare-Addo Esq. is a lawyer, local government official, business executive, and accomplished party organiser. His political activism and organisational skills earned him the position of National Youth Organiser of the NDC, a role he has held since 2018. During this time, he has mentored several young men and women who now hold key positions within the NDC. A former Munic­ipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Akuapem North Municipal Assembly (2009-2017).

Wilbert Petty Brentum is a politician, chartered accountant, local government pro­fessional, and mining expert with decades of experience. He has held technical, mana­gerial, and regulatory roles in the mining industry and has also served as an Assembly Member in the Juaboso Electoral Area of the Juaboso District.

Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere is an educationist and management expert with over 20 years of leadership experience in education, governance, and general adminis­tration. As a two-term Member of Parlia­ment for the Gomoa East Constituency, he spearheaded development initiatives in the area. He is currently the Executive Director of the Centre for Artisan and Apprentice Development, where he has designed and implemented training programmes that have empowered over 5,000 artisans and appren­tices. Mr Okyere holds an MBA in General Management, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and a Diploma in Management Studies from the University of Cape Coast.

Joseph Nelson is a public servant, finance, and economic management expert with extensive experience in business manage­ment across Ghana and the UK. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with Management Science from the University of Northampton, UK; and an Msc in Interna­tional Finance and Economic Policy from the University of Glasgow, UK; and an MSc in Microfinance from the University of Cape Coast. In public service, he previous­ly served as the Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).

Meanwhile outstanding ministries yet to receive their nominees are the ministries of Health, Transport, Sports and Recreation, Lands and Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, and Environment, Science and Technology.

The rest are Works, Housing and Water Resources, Labour, Jobs and Employment, Interior and Defence.

Similarly, regions yet to be assigned nomi­nees are Bono, Bono East and Upper West.

President Mahama in the run up to the polls pledged to run the leanest government in the history of the fourth republic with 60 ministers and deputies.

He is racing against time to name the full complement of his government by January 21, 2025 as promised.