Why Akufo-Addo Sacked Amoako-Atta, Benito Owusu-Bio and Others in the 2024 Reshuffle — Henry Quartey Explains

Date: August 26, 2026 By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi/ Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada

Former Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey has revealed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s major ministerial reshuffle in February 2024 was primarily a political strategy aimed at helping vulnerable New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament retain their parliamentary seats ahead of the general elections—not a dismissal based on incompetence or poor performance.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Quartey said he became aware as early as 2023 that President Akufo-Addo intended to relieve a number of ministers and deputy ministers who were serving as MPs, particularly those representing constituencies considered politically competitive.

According to him, the decision was carefully designed to allow affected ministers to return to their constituencies and concentrate fully on campaigning before the December 2024 elections.

A political, not performance-based decision

Henry Quartey rejected the widespread perception that the reshuffle was intended to punish ministers for failing in office.

Instead, he said the President believed several ministers were carrying two demanding responsibilities simultaneously—governing their ministries while also preparing for difficult parliamentary contests.

“It was never about incompetence. The President wanted some of us to go back and focus on protecting our parliamentary seats,” Quartey explained.

He noted that many of those affected represented constituencies where the NPP expected stiff competition from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Ministers and deputies affected

The February 14, 2024 reshuffle became one of the most significant cabinet changes during Akufo-Addo’s second term.

Among those relieved of their positions were:

• Kwasi Amoako-Atta – Minister for Roads and Highways

• Dan Botwe – Minister for Local Government

• Kwaku Agyeman-Manu – Minister for Health

• Ibrahim Mohammed Awal – Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture

• Freda Prempeh – Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources

• Henry Quartey – Greater Accra Regional Minister (later reassigned)

• Benito Owusu-Bio – Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources

Several other deputy ministers were also removed or reassigned as part of the sweeping government reorganisation.

Preparing for the 2024 elections

Quartey explained that the NPP leadership recognised the electoral importance of allowing MPs to spend more time in their constituencies.

He said ministers often struggled to balance cabinet duties, parliamentary responsibilities and constituency engagements, making it difficult to maintain a strong grassroots presence during an election year.

According to him, the reshuffle was therefore intended to strengthen the party’s electoral machinery rather than weaken individual politicians.

The former minister suggested that President Akufo-Addo prioritised the party’s parliamentary fortunes when making the difficult decision.

Looking back after the election

Although the strategy was implemented months before the 2024 general election, the NPP ultimately lost power to the NDC.

Quartey’s explanation offers one of the clearest insider accounts of the thinking behind the reshuffle, shedding light on a decision that generated widespread speculation at the time.

Many political observers had interpreted the changes as a response to public dissatisfaction with government performance, particularly following Ghana’s economic challenges and calls for broader cabinet reforms.

However, Quartey insists the motivation was largely electoral.

Reshuffle remains a defining moment

The 2024 cabinet reshuffle remains one of the defining political moments of Akufo-Addo’s final year in office.

It reshaped several ministries, brought new faces into government and altered the campaign responsibilities of numerous NPP MPs ahead of the national elections.

For Henry Quartey, the message is clear: the reshuffle was not about who failed—it was about positioning the party’s parliamentary candidates for a better electoral fight.