Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister, Hawa Koomson, will act as the caretaker Agric Minister until a substantive appointment is made.
President Akufo-Addo made this known on Thursday night after accepting the resignation of the Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.
The President announced this in accepting the resignation of Dr. Afriyie Akoto as Agric Minister. Dr. Afriyie Akoto not hidden his interest to contest for the NPP’s flagbearership position.
The Director of Communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin, signed the statement.
“The President of Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has accepted the resignation from office of Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as Minister for Food and Agriculture. This was after the Minister personally presented his letter of resignation to the President at Jubilee House on Tuesday, 10th January 2023.
“President Akufo-Addo conveyed his sincere gratitude to Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto for his services to government and to the nation, and wished him the best of luck in his future endeavours.”
“The President has, subsequently, tasked the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson, Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, to act as caretaker Minister at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture until a substantive replacement is made.”
This resignation comes barely a week after the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen also resigned to pursue his presidential ambition.
In his case, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is acting as the caretaker minister.
The immediate past Agric Minister was an MP for the Kwadaso Constituency in the Ashanti Region for two terms.
He was a Deputy Ranking Member, and then the Ranking Member for the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs.
He became the Minister for Food and Agriculture in 2017. Many have criticized his tenure for making questionable claims about the performance of the sector.
