President John Dramani Mahama has introduced another round of changes in his administration, removing Ernest Brogya Genfi as Deputy Minister of Defenc
President John Dramani Mahama has introduced another round of changes in his administration, removing Ernest Brogya Genfi as Deputy Minister of Defence and reassigning Labour, Jobs and Employment Minister Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo to the Presidency.
The latest changes, announced by the Presidency on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, form part of a series of ministerial adjustments undertaken by President Mahama as his administration reorganises key portfolios.
Under the new arrangement, Dr Pelpuo will leave the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment to become Minister of State in charge of Special Initiatives at the Office of the President.
His reassignment means Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, the current Minister of State in charge of Special Initiatives, is replacing him.
The change effectively swaps the responsibilities of the two ministers, with Dr Pelpuo moving to the Presidency and Agyekum assuming responsibility for the Labour Ministry.
The changes also affect the Defence Ministry, where Ernest Brogya Genfi has been removed as Deputy Minister and reassigned to the Presidency as a Special Adviser on on National Resilience and Emergency Preparedness. His departure follows the recent appointment of Kenneth Gilbert Adjei as substantive Minister for Defence. The Daily Gist will revisit the story and the two First Lady Lordina Mahama’s darling boys in the shake-up.
Adjei was previously the Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources before being moved to the Defence Ministry in an earlier ministerial changes.
His reassignment followed the death of former Defence Minister Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, after which President Mahama appointed Adjei to take charge of the ministry as substantive minister.
Brogya Genfi had served as Deputy Defence Minister and sometimes standing in for the acting Defence Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson for the one year he acted. With Adjei now firmly in charge of the ministry, the Presidency has opted to move Brogya Genfi to a new role at the seat of government.
The latest decision has nevertheless generated political discussion, particularly over the working relationship between Brogya Genfi and Adjei.
Brogya and Adjei are all Kumasi boys making it politically unwise to maintain the two.
Some public reactions have raised questions about whether the two officials, both linked to the Ashanti Region, enjoyed a cordial working relationship.
The changes involving Dr Pelpuo have also attracted attention because the Labour, Jobs and Employment Ministry is responsible for some of the administration’s most important employment-related policies. His transfer to the Presidency places him in charge of Special Initiatives, a portfolio with mo specific assignment.
Pelpuo’s reassignment comes at a time when employment, labour relations and job creation remain major issues in the political and economic discourse.
That earlier exercise saw changes across government, including the movement of Kenneth Gilbert Adjei from Works, Housing and Water Resources to Defence and the reassignment of Ahmed Ibrahim from the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to Works, Housing and Water Resources.
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