Ghana: Catherine Afeku out as culture minister

The announcement was made by the government in a statement signed by Eugene Arhin, the presidency's director of communications. “Catherine Afeku member of Parliament for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira constituency and former minister of tourism, arts and culture is now a minister of state at the office of the president, assigned to the office of the senior minister,” it said.

Afeku had headed the ministry since 2017 and was in charge during a series of culture initiatives by Ghana’s government. The last initiative announced was the creation of the Creative Arts Mediation Committee, which is to serve as an arbiter of disputes involving the creative sector.

She was expected to take part in the development of the committee, which is to begin operations later in the year.

“The creation of the committee is the first step towards the establishment of the fully fledged special court,” she said recently. Her new position as minister of state means she will not be involved in the establishment of the court. She was also instrumental in Ghana's hosting of last year's All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA). It is unclear if her transfer would affect the country's hosting of the event in 2019.

Afeku was attacked during her tenure as minister of culture by observers, some of whom decried her methods. And the transfer comes shortly after President Nana Akufo-Addo gave his state of the nation address on 21 February. Afeku’s critics said the president's address was not fully aware of Afeku's activities.

“I am starting to believe the appointment of Madam Catherine Afeku as minister for tourism and creative arts was a wrong move that will hinder the progress the industry so much needs,” one commentator wrote after Akufo-Addo’s address in a much-shared piece titled Has Catherine Afeku Been Lying to the President?

Afeku will be replaced as minister by Barbara Oteng Gyasi, who was the deputy minister for lands and natural resources.

Ghana’s Parliament has already been urged to speed up the official transfers and replacements. “President Akufo-Addo is hopeful that Parliament will expedite the vetting of the minister-designate for tourism, culture and creative arts, the regional minister-designate for Upper West, as well as the deputy ministers-designate for aviation, lands and natural resources, and health so they can assume their respective offices as quickly as possible."