Good evening of a happy day. Ladies and Gentlemen, you are the third and final batch of ministerial nominees of the central government that have received the approval of Parliament for appointment as Ministers in fulfilment of the constitutional requirement of our Republic.

Let me congratulate each one of you on your appointment. It is deserved and I am sure of that, with God’s guidance, each one of you will do a good job for the Ghanaian people. ­­­

This is the third occasion, within the last two weeks, on which I have had the honour of swearing in Ministers of the Akufo-Addo presidency. On each of the two previous occasions I made a speech, both of which I commend to you. Indeed, they contain together virtually all that I have to say on such an occasion. I have made copies of both for each one of you.

I want to stress, though, two things. The first is the need to see the opportunity of ministerial appointment as an avenue for service to our people and nation, service which should be discharged with humility. It is not meant to allow you to lord it over the citizenry.

The second is the requirement of integrity in the exercise of your functions. You are here to advance the public interest, not your personal fortunes, for you have been called to public service. You must, therefore, comply quickly with the obligation to file your asset declarations.

I want, in conclusion, to express my gratitude to the Speaker of Parliament, the Rt Hon Prof Michael Aaron Oquaye, the 1st Deputy Speaker, Hon Joe Osei Wusu MP, ex-officio Chairperson of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, the Majority Leader, now also Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu MP, the Minority Leader, Hon Haruna Iddrisu MP, Members of the Appointments Committee and Members of the House of Parliament for the expeditious and thorough manner in which they have completed the process of approving my ministerial nominees. They have done so in record time. Indeed, I believe they have enabled the central government to be assembled in the fastest time in the history of the Fourth Republic. The Ghanaian people and I are grateful to them for their service. I pray they will act with equal dispatch over the nominees for Regional Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

May God bless us all and our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong.
10th February 2017