There is nothing wrong with presidents appointing family members Prof Agyeman-Duah

Former United Nations (UN) Senior Advisor, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has suggested that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has done no wrong by appointee some of his family relations into positions in his government.

Prof Agyeman-Duah explained that the president is at liberty to appoint any person, provided the person is qualified, 3newroom.com

He added that even former President John Agyekum Kufuor and presidents of advanced democracies like the United States have appointed family members in their governments.

“There is nothing wrong appointing your brother or your son. After all, in other jurisdictions even in the American democracy that we tend to admire, Kennedy appointed his own brother as Attorney General.

“I think when former President Kufuor appointed his brother as Defence Minister there was nothing wrong about that, a very capable person that he appointed. So those are really not the critical issues,” he said.

He, however, indicated that the appointment should not be in positions that breed corruption.

“Even when appointments are made it is important to avoid clear cases of conflict of interest… where money or resources are involved, where there is a higher likelihood of somebody taking cover under the position and the connections available to him to kind of swindle the country, that is where I think my priority will be.

“When you are in the position to make big decisions or decisions that affect all of us, at the same time closely connected to some institutions through which these decisions perhaps may pass or the institution that may be used for the implementation, closely related to you, then there is likelihood that perhaps you made that decision knowing too well that certain benefits will accrue to that institution that you belong to,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo has been heavily criticised for appointing some of his family members and friends into top positions including Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta.

Some Ghanaians have said that the president is not able to sack these two ministers despite the fact that they have underperformed because he is protecting them.