GBEHO NOW FOREIGN MINISTER

The President, Flt-Lt. Rawlings has appointed the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. James Victor Gbeho as the Substantive Minister of Foreign Affairs. A letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Mr.. J.L.M. Amissah to the Speaker of Parliament is seeking approval of the House on the appointment. According to the letter, the President has revoked the appointments of two Ministers of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor and Mr.. D.S. Boateng with effect from today. The two have now been appointed Presidential Aides under the Presidential Office Act. Mr.. Victor Gbeho was for a long time Ghana's Permanent Representative at the UN. He was replaced by Professor Kofi Awoonor. Mr.. Gbeho, a career Diplomat, was also President Rawlings Special Envoy on the Liberian peace process. He played a great role in the peace accords that culminated in Liberia 's first post war elections in August this year. Mr. Gbeho replaces Dr.. Obed Asamoah who is now the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. There had been intense lobbying for the Foreign Ministry portfolio. Professor Awoonor and the former Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr.. Mohammed Ibn Chambas (now Deputy Minister of Education) had been highly tipped to take the foreign Ministry. Mr. Gbeho's appointment has now put the lid on speculations as to who was going to be appointed Foreign Minister. The Secretary to the President, Mr.. Jimmy Amissah later explained the rationale behind the decision of the President to re-designate two Ministers of State as Presidential Aides. Mr.. Amissah said in conformity with the constitutional requirement which stipulates that majority of Ministers of State be appointed from among members of Parliament, the President took the decision in order to reduce the number of Ministers outside Parliament. The two Ministers, Prof. Kofi Awoonor and Mr.. David Sarpong Boateng had to relinquish their Ministerial positions to avoid a situation where additional Ministers of State may have to be appointed from Parliament to satisfy Article 78 Section 1 of the Constitution. Mr.. Amissah explained that the re-designation had nothing to do with the competence or performance of the two Ministers. The Secretary stated that as Presidential Aides, Prof. Kofi Awoonor and Mr.. D.S. Boateng have the status of Ministers of state. End