Kufuor justifies appointing brother as defence minister

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor defended his decision to appoint his brother, Dr Kwame Addo‑Kufuor, as Minister for Defence, insisting the choice was based on competence, not nepotism.

Speaking on The Delay Show, the ex‑president said he trusted his brother’s ability to manage the Ministry and maintain strong relations with the Ghana Armed Forces. “Yes, I appointed my brother Dr Kwame Addo‑Kufuor as the Minister for Defence because I knew he could deliver and have a good relationship with the soldiers,” Kufuor explained.

Kufuor highlighted several infrastructural upgrades credited to Dr Addo‑Kufuor’s tenure. He pointed to the reconstruction of the Burma Hall at Burma Camp, which had collapsed, and the new laboratories built for the forces. “If you go to the Burma Camp right now, the Burma Hall, which was the central structure at the Camp where major military meetings were held, had at the time collapsed, and we built it and look at the labs that we also built for them,” he noted.

The former president stressed that the appointment was guided by a need for efficiency and professionalism in the defence sector. He argued that having a trusted and capable leader allowed key projects and reforms to be implemented swiftly, strengthening morale and operational capacity within the military.

Kufuor added that the construction of modern facilities and laboratories formed part of his administration’s broader vision for security sector reform, aiming to equip the Ghana Armed Forces with state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure to support national security.

While Kufuor’s defence of the appointment underscores his confidence in his brother’s performance, political analysts note that the episode continues to stir debate over the balance between merit and familial ties in public office.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE