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The Director of Communications at the Office of the President, Eugene Arhin, has defended the government’s decision of appointing Ignatius Baffour-Awuah in charge of Pension Ministry.
His justification is in line with President Akufo-Addo’s decision to designation Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, to handle pensions.
A letter dated January 30, 2023, and signed by the President addressed to Baffour-Awuah said pursuant to section 211 of the National Pensions Act, 2008 Act 766 (as amended), “I hereby designate you as the minister responsible for pensions, with immediate effect.”
He will now be responsible for the National Pensions Regulatory Authority and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
The appointment has since sparked debate within the general public whether a new Ministry has been created owing to the several calls on President Akufo-Addo in recent times to cut down cost by reducing his ministerial appointees.
But Eugene Arhin in a Facebook post explained, Mr. Baffour would only be responsible for pension duties in accordance with the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766).
According to him, “It is not going to be a new Ministry, and neither will it recruit new staff, or be allocated a budget” instead only a supervisory role, in charge of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority, the regulator of SSNIT.
He buttresses further indicating Ignatius Baffour-Awuah is not the first-timer Minister been designated to be responsible for the activities of pensions in the country because the NDC government was the pacesetters in 2008 after the amendment of the National Pensions Act.
“Indeed, following the amendment of the National Pensions Act, 2008, the then Minister for Labour and Employment, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, MP, was assigned by former President John Dramani Mahama as Minister responsible for Pensions. As a result, he assumed responsibility for SSNIT,” Eugene Arhin disclosed.
