President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has released his list of 10 regional ministerial nominees for the 10 administrative regions of the country, with a plea to Parliament to expedite the process of their vetting and approval.

Already, he said, the performance of the nominees who had appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament had given broad indication of their quality and the kind of expertise they were made of.

President Akufo-Addo said it was time for those who passed uncomplimentary comments about his choice of nominees to have a change of mind and realise that his nominees were people who were primed to deliver on the mandate of his government.

“They have the quality and the calibre and I believe that the men and women we have selected will take us to the next level of our development,” he said.

Difficult times ahead but…

The President admitted that the national task they were embarking on was going to be very difficult and challenging in view of the information his administration had on the state of the economy.

He said apparently the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) assessment of the economy had been far from the reality, saying: “I suspect from what I’m hearing and the evidence that is coming to me that it (the economy) is even in a poorer shape than we had anticipated.”

However, he affirmed that he was not one who would encounter a challenge and balk.

Rather, he expressed optimism that he had put a team together that was capable of taking the country to the next height of development, progress and prosperity.

Volta Region — Dr Archibald Yao Letsa

The President said one of the regions of target for the creation of a new region was the Volta Region.

He noted that that exercise was a very demanding one that required someone who had the support of the people and expressed the hope that Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, who also doubled as the Volta Regional Vice-Chairman of the NPP, was capable of meeting that challenge.

Northern Region — Mr Salifu Sa-eed

For the Northern Region, he said the choice of Mr Salifu Sa-eed, an astute gentleman, would ensure that steps were taken to bring the chieftaincy and its associated conflict situation in Yendi to a closure.

He said it was unfortunate that up till now there were police and military personnel still deployed in that area, saying “that must end”.

Upper East Region — Rockson Ayini Bukari

The President, in nominating Mr Rockson Ayini Bukari for the Upper East Region, described him as “a mature person required to steer the affairs of the region to bring progress and prosperity to the people”.

Upper West Region — Alhassan Sulemana

Mr Alhassan Sulemana, the nominee for the Upper West Region, he said, was a man who fitted perfectly into the dynamics of the Upper West Region.

He said Mr Sulemana had worked assiduously for the inroads that the party had made in the region and hoped that he would bring the same level of resourcefulness to his job as regional minister.

Brong Ahafo Region — Kwaku Asoma-Cheremeh

Mr Kwaku Asoma-Cheremeh, the minister designate for the Brong Ahafo Region, was touted by the President as having worked hard to ensure the winning of 20 seats in the region.

The President described that feat as commendable, in view of the fact that the party’s performance in the region in the last two elections had not matched up to the historical pedigree that it had in the region, which is home to one of the founding fathers of the NPP — Dr K. A. Busia.

Ashanti Region — Simon Osei Mensah

He described the Ashanti Region as the largest support base of the NPP, saying that through the efforts of the regional minister nominee, Mr Simon Osei Mensah, the party could now boast of 44 out of the 47 seats in the region.

In the words of the President: “He has the temperament and pedigree to lead the region.”

Western Region — Dr Kwaku Afriyie

Dr Kwaku Afriyie, the nominee for the Western Region, was hailed by the President to have played an instrumental role in the setting up of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) during the erstwhile Kufuor administration.

He was also instrumental in the setting up the College of Physicians and Surgeons, he said, describing him as a very resourceful person with a wide range of experiences.

“I believe he will help in deepening the governance of the region. He will also be instrumental in the creation of the new region from the Western Region. He has paid his dues to his country,” he said.

Central Region — Kwamena Duncan

The nominee for the Central Region, Mr Kwamena Duncan, was described by the President as one of the known communicators of the NPP who had remained active in his articulation of the vision of the party in the media.

Mr Duncan, the President said, had made inputs that saw the party go into the elections in the Central Region with seven seats and emerged with 19.

Part of that success story, he said, was attributable to Mr Duncan’s activism and his versatile personality.

Eastern — Eric Kwakye Darfour

The Eastern Region, the President said, had been one of the traditional strongholds of the party and its people were enthusiastic and passionate about the NPP as a business-oriented party.

In nominating Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour, the President described him as an experienced politician and mature hand who could take cognisance of and ably handle the sensibilities of the different peoples of the region.

Greater Accra Region — Ishmael Ashietey

Mr Ishmael Ashietey is a former MP for Tema East and Fisheries Minister in the Kufuor administration.

“We went from 14 seats in the Greater Accra Region to 21 and much of the effort was due to his (Ashietey’s) ability for effective mobilisation. He is a calm and level-headed person,” the President said.