The Deputy Director of Operations at the presi­dency, Mustapha Gbande, has revealed that President John Dramani Mahama is carefully nav­igating the challenge of balancing technical expertise with loyalty while making key appointments.

In an interview on the JoyNews in Accra on Friday, he explained that the President's decisions were based on a thoughtful evaluation of both competency and loyalty.

He stressed that those appointed must not only be qualified for the roles but also align with the broad­er goals of the administration.

The President has been criticised for some of his ap­pointments by some grassroots supporters who have, in some cases, demonstrated their opposi­tion through protests.