By: Emmanuel Oti Acheampong
President Akufo-Addo has finally embarked on his first Ministerial reshuffle after close to eight years of governance and the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been relieved of his duty.
In a tall list submitted to Parliament for prior approval, the President has made some changes which are believed to help in the reorganisation of his government with less than 10 months until the next election.
Mr. Ken Ofori Atta’s reshuffle becomes the spectacle of this new development as his change has been a call by both Party members and opposition members in the country.
Since the Fourth Republic, no finance minister has served a second term, even when the incumbent government retains power. With his exit, Mr. Ofori Atta became the longest-serving Finance Minister under the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
His exit sees Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Member of Parliament for the Karaga Constituency in the Northern Region. Prior to his appointment as the successor of Ken Ofori Atta, he served as the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance.
Profile of New Finance Minister designate, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam
Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam is the member of Parliament for Karaga Constituency. He is the immediate past Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.
Prior to assuming his role as Minister of State, Hon. Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam was the Deputy Minister for Energy responsible for the Petroleum Sector.
He was appointed as the Deputy Regional Minister for the Northern Region in 2005.
Hon. Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has worked extensively on extractive industries and Resource Management as a University lecturer, advisor on Resource Governance and campaigner for transparency in resource management around the globe.
Prior to his role as the Deputy Minister for Energy, he was the Founder and Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP). He also worked in other Public and Private organisations as an Energy Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Energy in Ghana, Commissioner of the Ghana Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, and Africa Coordinator of extractive industries, among many other positions held.
His appointment as the Minister Designate of Finance is currently awaiting vetting and subsequent approval by the Parliament of Ghana.