President John Dramani Mahama has sworn in four deputy ministers of state, completing his 60-member ministerial team as part of his plan to run a leaner and more efficient government. The ceremony took place at Jubilee House on July 31, 2025.
The newly appointed deputies are Mrs Dorcas Affo-Toffey, Deputy Minister for Transport; Mr James Gyakye Quayson, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Mr Mohammed Adam Sukparu, Deputy Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation; and Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Deputy Minister for Health.
Mr Mahama said the appointments complete the formation of his administration’s executive branch. He explained that deputies had been assigned only to ministries with heavier workloads and wider oversight duties.
“This is a clear expression of our resolve to establish a new paradigm of lean, purposeful and effective government,” the President said. “From the outset, I made a commitment to restore trust and discipline in public service by building a government that is not bloated but balanced, not extravagant but efficient.”
The President noted that staffing at the Office of the President has been reduced compared to the 336 positions under the previous administration. Savings made from cuts to fuel allocations, travel budgets and other expenses, he said, are being channelled into education, health, infrastructure and energy.
On the economy, Mr Mahama pointed to what he described as early signs of recovery.
He said Ghana’s fiscal deficit had dropped from 5.8 per cent of GDP in 2024 to 1.1 per cent by mid-2025. Public debt had also declined to GH¢613 billion, inflation had fallen to 13.7 per cent, and the cedi had strengthened to GH¢10.4 against the US dollar.
According to him, these gains have brought relief to consumers through lower prices of basic goods and reduced fuel costs.
Addressing the new deputies, Mr Mahama urged them to serve with humility and honesty, follow the government’s code of conduct and work closely with their ministers.
“We are measured not by the policies we draft but by the lives we improve,” he said. “The people who elected us want jobs, affordable food, functional hospitals, safe roads and quality education. In short, they want results.”
Mr Mahama also condemned the recent assault on journalists by security personnel, calling it “unacceptable”.
He said the matter would be investigated and those responsible sanctioned. Plans are underway for a meeting between security chiefs and the Ghana Journalists Association to train officers to see the media as partners in national development.
The President expressed condolences to the families of 15 people who died in a road accident in Obogu in the Ashanti Region.
He reaffirmed that the government’s Big Push Infrastructure Initiative would prioritise the dualisation and rehabilitation of highways to improve road safety.
Speaking on behalf of the new deputies, Mr Mohammed Adam Sukparu thanked the President for the appointments and said they would support the government’s reset agenda and help deliver its policies.
