Policy think tank IMANI-Africa has called on President John Dramani Mahama to relieve Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson of his additional role as Acting Defence Minister, warning that the dual appointment could undermine effective fiscal oversight at a critical time for Ghana’s economy.
The appeal was made by IMANI-Africa President, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe, in a social media post assessing the early phase of the Mahama administration and outlining key priorities ahead of the implementation of major government initiatives in 2026.
Mr. Cudjoe acknowledged that President Mahama has made a positive start but cautioned that the scale and complexity of the planned “Big Push” infrastructure projects require the full attention of the Finance Minister to ensure sound public financial management.
“Please free Finance Minister, Ato Forson from the additional duty as Defence Minister so he can focus and continue being fiscally disciplined,” Mr. Cudjoe stated.
He stressed that Dr. Forson should be allowed to devote his full energy to economic stewardship, fiscal discipline, and effective budget execution, particularly as the country prepares for significant capital spending in the near term.
Mr. Cudjoe warned that assigning multiple high-responsibility portfolios to a single official increases the risk of inefficiencies, procurement challenges, and weak oversight, especially in the management of large-scale infrastructure programmes.
Beyond the call for role separation, IMANI-Africa also proposed strengthening the Cabinet Office by appointing a senior civil servant as an Administrator-General or Assessor-General.
The proposed independent office would be tasked with monitoring and conducting risk assessments on all major government projects.
According to Mr. Cudjoe, proactive and independent oversight would help prevent corruption, cost overruns, and project delays, noting that Ghana cannot afford another cycle of excessive spending followed by retrospective accountability investigations after governments leave office.
