The Office of the Vice President is redundant – KKD

Renowned media personality, Kwasi Kyei Darkwah (KKD), has questioned the relevance of the office of the vice president and has opined that the Office holds no value to the development of a nation.

In his remarks to the press on the causes and consequences of corruption in Ghana’s government, Nana KKD alluded to the fact that the 1992 Constitution creates a plethora of pointless positions that do little to advance the country’s progress.

He explained that the President already has the authority to execute the Vice President’s duties, so the position of Vice President is superfluous.

“There will come a time when we may not even need a vice president. Because really, what exactly does the vice president do? Really. It is totally redundant. I said so,” he passionately expressed.

“He [ Dr Mahamudu Bawumia] has an office that is totally redundant. Even in America, what does the vice president do? Even in America, what does the vice president do?

Even in the UK, what is the vice prime minister? What is that? “ he quizzed.

The roles and mandates of a Vice President enshrined in the 1992 constitution state that whenever the President is absent from Ghana or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his office, the Vice-President shall perform the functions of the President until the President returns or is able to perform his functions.

In the same vein, if a President dies, resigns or is removed from office, the Vice President shall assume office as President for the unexpired term of office of the President with effect from the date of the death, resignation or removal of the President.

The aforesaid office is not the only redundant position occupied by state officials, a situation he reckons has increased the government’s wage bill.

The aggrieved broadcaster, lamenting about the current state of affairs in the country, stated that government should reduce its expenditure by scrapping such
positions.

In an outburst against government and the current state of affairs in the country, KKD said, “If we say we are broke, and we cannot get hospital beds, and pregnant women are sleeping on the floor before they deliver, and good fathers who have worked and paid their taxes for years will drive in front of a hospital and die in a car because there is no bed. Why do we have so many.”

“Look, we are not talking as people who have brains, we have brains. We did not go to school to learn common sense, we went to school to learn trades, but as for common sense, it is taught at home. And when you are sufficiently taught common sense, then you get the rarest form of common sense, which is wisdom.”

KKD is not the only Ghanaian calling for a reduction in the size of the current administration in order to cut down on expenditure amidst the current economic
downturn.

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has asserted that the current number of ministers must be reduced as part of efforts to reduce the government’s expenditure.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu suggested that the number of ministers Ghana has was too much and that this was adding to the financial burden of the state.

“The Constitution provides in Article 76(1) that there shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice President and not more than nineteen ministers of state.”

Given the role of cabinet ministers, that is, for running the state efficiently and assisting the President in the determination of policy of his government, it is my contention that apart from regional ministers, the number of central government ministers may not have to exceed 19 as contained in the Constitution.

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo, in his first term in office, had a total number of 120 ministers which at the time was more than that of his predecessor. The former President, John Mahama, had 90 Ministers before leaving office.

In the second term of the Akufo-Addo government, he reduced his ministerial appointment from120 to 85.

Source: The Independent Ghana