President John Mahama’s decision to run a lean government has emerged as the most defining and applauded move of his administration’s early days, according to Professor Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai of the University of Ghana Business School.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, the Associate Professor of Development Politics said the president’s fulfilment of the campaign promise to reduce the size of government has resonated strongly with the public.
“One of the promises was to sort of, like, establish the leanest government that Ghana has ever had.
“That single most promise is extremely crucial, because we know, we all know, everyone admits that we have a running value type of government, and the impact of that on the public purse has been very, very significant,” he said.
Professor Abdulai emphasised that past administrations were often criticised for bloated government structures that strained public finances and did little to boost public confidence.
In contrast, the current administration’s early prioritisation of fiscal discipline through fewer ministerial appointments has sent a message of seriousness and reform.
He described the move as symbolic of a larger commitment to responsible governance.
“For me, I think one of the crucial steps that has been taken by this government that appears to be so widely applauded by the Ghanaian public is this issue of the number of ministers,” he said.
