John Tia To Be Thrown Out Of Cabinet

As ministers of President John Evans Atta Mills sit on tenterhooks, following information of another reshuffle of the Cabinet to come, The Chronicle newspaper has gathered that the next ministerial changes will claim the portfolio of the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashittey.

According to reliable sources, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, who is also the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the Krowor Constituency, would be replaced by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Kpong Kantamanso, Joseph Nii Afotey Laryea. The Kpong Kantamanso MP, popularly referred to as ‘Lion’, is currently a Minister of State at the presidency.

Though the President is keeping the names of the next reshuffle close to his chest, The Chronicle further gathered that the Minster of Information, John Tia Akologo, himself a veteran journalist, may lose his position.

Signals picked indicate that Mr. E.T. Mensah, the Ningo Prampram legislator and current Minister of Manpower and Employment, is moving to take over from his colleague, Mr. Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, as the new Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing.

Mr. Bagbin, a former majority leader in Parliament, is reported to be going to the Minster of Information to take over from Mr. John Tia. Mr. Bagbin, whose tenure saw the groundbreaking event of the controversial STX Korea 30,000 housing project for the security agencies, is to be paired with Mr. Kofi Adams, Deputy General Secretary of the ruling NDEC.

According to information available, talks are seriously ongoing for Mr. Adams to accept the position, but serious reservations are being expressed by the former first family, Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings, considering the role of Mr. Adams as their spokesperson.

This paper learnt that the Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph Amenowode, was nearly swept away by the reshuffle of last month, but was saved at the last minute. However, the District and Municipal Chief Executive in the Volta Region would not be affected, as it happened in the other regions.

President Mills started the year, which has been described as ‘action year, with the reshuffling of his cabinet, which saw the exit of Madam Zita Okaikoi Saba and Mr. Tetteh Enyo, as Ministers of Tourism and Education respectively.

The Chronicle has learned that Mr. Tetteh Enyo was asked to superintendent over the Greater Accra Region, but insisted on retiring from the Cabinet, while other schools of thought hold the view that he was fired because of the imbroglios in the education sector, such as the strike by the university and polytechnic lectures.

The Chronicle also learnt that following the reshuffle last month, with threats of further changes ahead, a number of ministers who were not sure of their positions, failed to turn up at their offices for some time.

The reshuffle brought Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, former Eastern Regional Minister, to take charge of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.