The minister designates for the ministry of Tourism, Art and culture and MP for Sekondi Constituency, Lawyer Andrew Egyapa Mercer, says that, the new appointment that moves him from the energy ministry to the current ministry is all about helping the president, nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, to achieve his mandate which the people of Ghana voted him for.
In that regard every minister’s mandate is to serve His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
He further indicated that the president has asked him to meet the substantive minister to offer any creative ideas that will help the ministry since the 2024 budget has already been set.
In an interview on the Jolly Breakfast Show with the host Naomi Afriyie-Nyanor, the minister designates said when the parliament gives him the opportunity to serve at the ministry, the tourism centres in the Sekondi/Takoradi and western region at large will not be left out.
This comes after the President relieved 13 central and local government ministers of their duties, including Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta, Interior Minister Ambrose Dery, Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Environment, Science, and Technology Minister Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta.
The rest of the ministers are Works and Housing Minister Francis Asenso Boakye, Gender, Children, and Social Protection Minister Lariba Abudu; Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Minister Dan Botwe; Sanitation and Water Resources Minister Freda Prempeh, Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Ibrahim Ahmed Awal; Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey, and Oti Regional Minister Joseph Makubu.
The President has also relieved Mrs. Fatimatu Abubakar, Information; Collins Ntim Aboagye and Martin Agyei Mensah Korsah, Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Ama Pomah Boateng, Communications and Digitalization; Tina Mensah, Health; Abdulai Abanga, Works, and Housing, Benito Owusu Bio, Lands and Natural Resources: Moses Anim, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development; William Owireku Aidoo and Andrew Agyapa Mercer, Energy, Gifty Twum Ampofo, Education; and Bright Owireku Bobbey, Employment and Labour Relations, of their duties as deputy ministers