NPP journalist appointed envoy

Mahama’s Inclusive gov’t, Reshuffle et al

-‘Fake Certificate’ Appointees To Go

A former virulent critic of the ruling National Democratic Congress and an unrepentant adherent of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition, who is also one of Ghana’s foremost veteran journalists has landed a job in the Mahama administration as an envoy-designate for a yet-to-be named country.

Sources at the Flag Staff House told The Al-Hajj that as part of President Mahama’s conviction to discard the “winner takes all” syndrome in our body politics and in order to foster national cohesion and harmony, he has penciled the hitherto unforgiving NDC critic, who is also a Muslim by faith and other equally known ‘bashers’ of the ruling government as envoy and to other positions.

According to our source, it is this same decision that also informed President John Mahama to appoint the running mate to the PPP flag bearer in the 2012 presidential election, Madam Eva Lokko to the board of National Information Technology Agency (NITA).

As part of the ongoing plans to overhaul his government, the President is said to have also decided to axe some non-performing ministers, deputy Ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, some of who presented fake educational certificates to aid their nomination and appointments.

Though sources at the presidency have furnished The Al-Hajj with names of some of the persons on their way out of government and those smiling to take up positions in the Mahama administration, for very good reasons, the paper has decided not take the wind out of the President’s sail as he is said to have kept the names close to his chest.

Some of the names on the list, particularly those for persons penciled to join government and for foreign missions are such that it will take Ghanaians by surprise when it is finally released by the president any time this week.

Information gathered by this paper suggests that barring any unforeseen hitches the President in the coming days will release the list of appointees to be kicked out of his government or those to be appointed.

Majority of those expected to be axed per this paper’s investigations include deputy Ministers and MMDCEs whose educational credentials are questionable as at the time of appointment.

It would be recalled that, some deputy Ministers and MMDCEs had their educational qualifications questioned by their respective vetting committees.

Among some of the appointees whose educational qualifications were questioned at such instances include a deputy Minister of Local Government and recently appointed Municipal Chief Executive for a district in the Brong Ahafo region noted for its flourishing economic activities.

The Al-Hajj also gathered that, some of the ministers, deputy ministers and MMDCEs who would be axed because of non-performance and other varying instances.

The President is also said to have decided to make changes in the substantive ministers. In the case of the ministers, the source said, though majority of them would remain in government but would serve in different portfolios.

“In the case of the substantive ministers, a lot of them will remain in government. Those who will be maintained will be moved from the current ministries to another but some of them too will still remain in their ministries.

“What I can tell is that just a handful of the ministers will be asked to go home,” the source revealed.

President John Mahama last week asked all regional ministers to report back to their native regions after serving in different regions for almost a year.