I Will Appoint 60 Ministers Without Ex-gratia – Mahama1 min read
John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said he will appoint only 60 ministers if he wins the 2024 elections.
Speaking in a post-election acceptance address on Monday (15 May), Mahama announced that he will scrap ex-gratia payments to ministers and officials of his government.
According to him, the intention to run a lean government is to protect the national purse.
“Our nation is currently facing significant challenges, burdened with crippling debt and an inefficient, wasteful government,” Mahama, 64, told supporters in Tamale.
“We cannot continue on this path. It would be a betrayal of the people for a leader to persist in the same ineffective practices that leave them poorer. I am dedicated to establishing an efficient government with no more than 60 ministers,” the former president said.
He added: “These ministers and other government appointees will voluntarily relinquish their entitlement to ex-gratia payments upon the completion of their tenure, even before the necessary constitutional amendments, including a review of the contentious Article 71.”
