Reshuffle at last

THE first twelve months of the ruling NDC government was not too good, especially looking at its performance in the management the Ghanaian economy. Though, we cannot rule out the 2009 credit crunch which affected most economies in this world, it is also instructive to state that the Mills led- administration did not put in place prudent policies that indicated that it was gearing towards achieving its 'Better Ghana' agenda.

YET, there are some who still think that these are early days and that the Mills government should be given space and time to put its acts together. Well, we at TODAY beg to differ on this issue. In the first place why did the NDC party campaign for political power? Was it not based on their [the NDC] own assessment and judgement that the then NPP government had mismanaged the economy and that they [the NDC] were in a better position to improve the lot of Ghanaians.

IT was therefore based on that Ghanaians gave the NDC a four-year mandate to steer the affairs of this nation. Although the election result was close, yet the NDC emerged victorious. That was an indication that majority of Ghanaians had the belief that an NDC government led by Professor John Evans Atta Mills could alleviate them from the throes of poverty which is eating up many a Ghanaian families.

FOLLOWING the abysmal performance of the Mills government, there were many who urged President Mills to reshuffle his ministers and bring in people who would work with a sense of urgency to enhance the living standard of Ghanaians. Some of those calls came from within the President's own political party. Notably among them was the founder of the NDC party, former President Jerry John Rawlings, who in his estimation, asserted that some of the ministers as of last year were mediocre.

THAT pronouncement by former President Rawlings sparked off much controversy within the NDC with some key members of the Mills government coming out to lash out at Mr Rawlings. Finally, early last week, President Mills made his first Cabinet reshuffle. Eight news faces were brought into the administration.

THESES new faces are Mr Martin Amidu, Interior Minister designate, Mr Enoch Tei Mensah, Employers and Social Welfare Minister designate and Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin Minister designate for Works and Housing. It is good to have fresh limbs with new ideas to move the country forward.

BUT, the introduction of the above three personalities has sparked controversy once again. The three—Mr Bagbin, Mr Mensah and Mr Amidu—are the front runners of the NDC party in Parliament. The argument by some NDC members of Parliament is that the exit of the three from the national assembly would affect the NDC in the House.

TODAY cannot understand the beef of NDC parliamentarians who opine that the exit of the three would weaken the party in Parliament. Is the NDC trying to tell the world that they do not have equally good parliamentarians to feel the void in Parliament?

WE on this paper hope the Cabinet reshuffle by President Mills would impact positively on the Ghanaian and help push forward the better Ghana agenda of the current administration