IMANI-Africa urges Mahama to relieve Forson of defence duties

Policy think tank IMANI-Africa has called on President John Dramani Mahama to remove Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson from his concurrent role as Acting Defence Minister.

The group warned that combining the two portfolios could compromise fiscal oversight at a critical time for Ghana’s economy. IMANI-Africa President Franklin Cudjoe made the appeal in a social media post assessing the early phase of the Mahama administration and outlining priorities ahead of major government initiatives in 2026.

Cudjoe noted that while the President has made a promising start, the complexity and scale of upcoming “Big Push” projects require Dr. Forson’s undivided attention to maintain 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,” he said.

He emphasized that Dr. Forson should concentrate entirely on economic stewardship, fiscal discipline, and budget supervision, particularly with significant capital expenditures expected soon. Cudjoe cautioned that overloading senior officials increases the risk of inefficiency, procurement issues, and weak oversight, especially in large infrastructure projects.

He also proposed strengthening the Cabinet Office by appointing a senior civil servant as Administrator-General or Assessor-General to independently monitor and conduct risk analysis on major government initiatives. According to Cudjoe, proactive oversight would help prevent corruption, cost overruns, and delays, ensuring Ghana avoids repeated cycles of wasteful spending followed by post-tenure accountability investigations.