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04.05.2006 General News

Kufuor Goes Macho

04.05.2006 LISTEN
By GNA

As Ghanaians wait with bated breath for the announcement of the second batch of President J.A. Kufuor's Cabinet reshuffle, Daily Guide can reliably re President wants to allow more young men and women to come on board in line with his vision and mission that he wants his second-term of office to be full of hope and action.

All-in-all, about 12 deputy ministers are to be dropped in the next and final Cabinet reshuffle of the President, for now. The President is further believed to have told his aides that there is no cause for alarm regarding those he had dropped as ministers in his latest Cabinet reshuffle because he did it for the good of the party.
Although the President is reported to have heard the sentiments being expressed about why he had dropped certain ministers from his Cabinet, he is said to be soldiering on saying the business of government must be seen to be done first.

A source which disclosed this to Daily Guide, said it took the President several months, weeks, days and minutes, agonising about the decision he was going to make. It added that when the President was set for what he was about to do, he called each of the would-be casualties and informed them about his intended action.

According to the source, this was the first time in the history of democratic governance in the country, that a sitting President, was informing his ministers about the reasons why he might have to discard them.

The source therefore called for a stop to what its called, “the orchestrated calls on President Kufuor to give a public explanation as to why he kicked out eight ministers from his Cabinet”.

The source pointed out that Ghanaians have not seen anything yet guessing that, the next batch of regional ministers and deputies as well as deputies for some of the ministries, would equally be puzzling. The source explained that in line with the President's vision to give the youth a greater role to play in his administration, new challenges are being offered the young ones already in the Cabinet, as well as bringing new ones on board.

The source intimated that those who catch the eyes of the President in that regard are Hon Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Member of Parliament for Weija and Deputy Minister of Information who is being re-assigned as one of two deputy ministers for the additional responsibility to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NEPAD. The others are Hon Joe Baidoe-Ansah, a journalist and currently MP for Effia-Kwesimintsim, who is said to have been pencilled for the deputy portfolio for Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations which would relate to the estimated $6 billion African American Market.

Mr Agyeman Manu, the deputy minister for Finance is being shifted to the Interior Ministry whilst Hon Poku Edusei, moves to the Ports and Railways ministry. Currently, he's one of two deputies for the Local Government Ministry.

Until his nomination, Hon Asamoah Boateng, was the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City which has been temporarily shelved until sufficient funds are made available for the re-engineering of the capital city. Currently he's the incumbent Member of Parliament for Mfantsiman West.

Another young chap, Kwame Osei Prempeh, the Member of Parliament for Nsuta Kwaman, has been pigeon-holed for the challenging Deputy Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice portfolio. He partners Hon Joe Ghartey, the deputy Attorney-General who has been nominated by the President for vetting as the substantive Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. Joe Ghartey is the MP for Esikado Ketan near Sekondi.

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