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Kufuor’s ‘G8’ Set to Resign This Week
Kweku Asare & Gideon Sackitey,
ACCRA
President John Agyekum Kufuor
early this year told members of his cabinet who were
interested in his office to resign before going ahead fully
to start campaign in order to ensure full concentration on
developing a successful government machinery. He later asked
them to resign after the successful African Union Summit. It
is also two days after the deadline and Ghanaians are
waiting to see what will happen. Ghanadot examines the big
picture from Accra:
Accra, July 5 - Ghanadot - It
is almost two days after the end of the 9th African
Union Summit in Accra and the “edict” to quit by President
John Agyekum Kufuor to his eight cabinet ministers aspiring
to replace him is drawing nigh fast.
News making the rounds in the capital here says the group of
minister-aspirants will quit office by the weekend to pursue
their dream of becoming the flagbearer of the ruling New
Patriotic Party (NPP).
Those expected to make the move are Alan Kyerematen,
Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and
President's Special Initiatives, Papa Owusu-Ankomah,
Minister of Education, Science & Sports, Kwame Addo-Kufuor,
Defence Minister, Mike Oquaye, Communications Minister and
Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Water Resources, Works &
Housing.
Nana Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional
Cooperation and NEPAD is most likely to stay on a little
longer, however. He is to represent President Kufuor on an
official engagement in Eastern Europe – Russia and Bulgaria
from July 13 - July 16.
A new list of government Ministers is expected to be laid
before Parliament next Monday and Aides to Felix
Owusu-Adjapong, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and
Majority Leader in Parliament said the President and other
sympathisers were still trying to persuade him to continue
"with the good job” he has been doing as Minister for
Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader.
President Kufuor on Friday, 22 June, issued a statement
through his Secretary reading "The President, His Excellency
John Agyekum Kufuor, on Wednesday, 20th June met with NPP
Executives and Ministers of his Cabinet who intend to stand
for the flagbearer position of the Party when nominations
open in September in accordance with the NPP party
constitution."
"The meeting … was aimed at ensuring effective continuity of
Government"s work and programme, whilst also ensuring
sufficient space for the Ministers to pursue their laudable
ambitions.
"After frank and open discussions, an understanding was
reached that the Ministers would step aside from Government
soon after the AU Summit to enable them concentrate on their
individual efforts to win the party’s nomination and also
enable Government continue with its work without any
distraction throughout the hectic period ahead."
Meanwhile, the anticipated cabinet reshuffle may see the
remaining Ministers being shifted around. Many actually
believe that Mr Joseph Adda, Energy Minister must be fired
too considering his poor handling of the current energy
crisis, which is in its 11th month. But party insiders say
he may stay on at the Energy Ministry.
Close Castle and power brokers have it that that Stephen
Asamoah Boateng may leave the Local Government, Rural
Development and Environment Ministry for the Brong Ahafo
Region while the Minister for that region, Ignatius
Baafuor-Awuah is likely to replace Dominic Fobih at Mines,
Lands & Forestry.
Similar sources are of the opinion that Mr Kwamena Bartels
Minister of Information and National Orientation and Major (Rtd)
Courage Quashigah, Minister of Health and Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah,
Minister of The Interior, are mixed bags and likely to be
reshuffled, with one of them taking over the Defence
portfolio.
Fobih, an experienced educationist and a Professor would do
well to sustain the momentum of the education reforms to a
crescendo, replacing Papa Owusu-Ankomah.
Ms Oboshie Sai-Coffie is likely to become the substantive
Information Minister while the affable Frank Agyekum,
Government Spokesperson on Governance, is likely to be
elevated onto the deputy Information Minister position.
Sources close to the Presidency told Ghanadot that a number
of Deputy Ministers will be elevated to fill vacant
positions, counting their experiences they have developed
over the period.
The Deputy Foreign Minister, Akwasi Osei-Adjei, is expected
to get some promotion just as Mr Aggrey Ntim, Deputy
Communications Minister and Kwadwo Afram-Aseidu, Deputy
Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President's
Special Initiatives Minister.
The reshuffle is also billed to see the highest number of
female Ministers in the Kufuor administration. There are
only two female Ministers, a decision which has put the
administration under shape criticisms from women and gender
rights activists as well as female Members of all the
parties in Parliament, which itself has only 24 female
members out of a 230-member House.
The changes in President Kufuor’s administration would no
doubt make him a kind of lame duck, with several of his
strongmen abandoning him for persona, gain. But it is
expected that not all those who have shown interest in the
flagbearership office would actually go when the time comes.
Kweku Asare & Gideon Sackitey, ACCRA, July 5,
Ghanadot.com
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